Preparation:
As a fellow Southern "shivering" in this inhospitable Northern Iceland (why go to Reykjavik when you can have it all here?), I want to pass on to you one of my Brunswick Stew recipe to fortify you before grading student papers, prepare lectures, and such. Starting way in advance, poach one 4 lb. chicken. Then add a 2 lb. rabbit that's been quartered (if you don't find any in your backyard by all means substitute veal) and put on high heat and then simmer with the chicken with additional water to cover. You should add the rabbit some 35 minutes after having poached the chicken.
When done, drain, reserve the stock and cool the meats on a platter. Once the meats are cool enough to touch with your fingers, bone the chicken and the rabbit and chop into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken and rabbit morsels into the stockpot and add a Virginia ham bone (if you got one) along with 2 cups of sliced onions, 2 cups of chopped celery, 1 cup carrots, and 2 cups of sliced cabbage. Add garlic, marjoram, 2 bay leaves, and a little dash of cayenne (optional). Stir in 2-3 lbs. of chopped tomatoes with juice, bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes. Add 1 lb. of lima beans, 1 1/2 lbs. chopped potatoes, and 4 cups of corn.
Bring to a boil again and then simmer, stir the pot a bit to prevent burning. This will take another hour. Season with salt and black pepper. An option is to sprinkle finely chopped parsley into the pot. You can serve this on a bed of rice, or with biscuit, or, as I like to do, with fresh baguettes. A nicely tossed salad with vinaigrette dressing would be a nice accompaniment to your stew. Choose a good, full-bodied red wine to serve with your stew and you and your guests can tell winter to do its wors |
