After publishing a look at Brunswick Stew in the Jan. 19 edition of The Dispatch, a reader sent in an email noting that most recipes they’ve seen include wild game.
“Venison rabbits and squirrels are the primary meats used by most Southerners.
“It is a way to use meat that might otherwise be cast aside. Venison ribs, neck, and backbones make for a very good base for a Brunswick stew or vegetable soup,” wrote the reader.
Upon further investigation, I came upon several recipes for that version of Brunswick Stew.
The one below is published on the Mossy Oak website.
GORDON’S BRUNSWICK STEW
Ingredients
3-4 squirrels (about 18 oz.) dressed and cut into ½ inch cubes. If using older squirrels, quarter them leaving legs whole.
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup diced potatoes cooked
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1 cup lima beans
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup corn
1 pint homemade canned tomatoes or 1 14 oz. can of tomatoes
1 teaspoon hot sauce, 4-5 dashes if you like spice
1 lb. ground Italian sausage, crumbled
2 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup okra, cut into 1/2–inch pieces
3 cups chicken stock
Lemon juice
Directions
■ In a large bowl, mix half the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
■ Place squirrel meat in bowl with flour mixture and coat thoroughly.
■ In a large Dutch oven, or heavy stock pot, heat olive oil until almost smoking. Brown squirrel in batches. Change oil if needed. Remove squirrel and set aside.
■ Add celery, onions, bell pepper, sausage and garlic to the pot. Add more olive oil for sautéing if needed. Cook until vegetables are translucent over medium heat.
■ Add remaining tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Then add the remaining flour and stir until thick. This begins your stew.
■ Add the stock and stir well to mix. Then the corn, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, wine, okra and squirrel meat to the pot.
■ Bring mixture to a boil then lower to simmer for about 35-45 minutes. Add extra stock if necessary. Dash the hot sauce into the stew then cover.
■ Squeeze the juice of one lemon over stew.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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