MOMMA'S BRUNSWICK STEW  REVISED            Laura Faucette Pitts (Kate Braden's sister)                              

Momma's Stew was made mostly with the meat of peeled chicken necks and wings when you could get them for next to nothing.   I do stick to dark meat using mostly thighs or thighs, legs, and wings as breast meat gets stringy when cooked too long.  Mom's Stew was much heavier in chicken fat as she used to squeeze a handful of cooked chicken skin into her pot and her stew was a lot more soupy.  She would say she knew her stew was ready when the spoon stands up on its own and mine starts out that way.   Momma never added the Cayenne Pepper to it.  Nor do I.  Instead, she set it out on the table for each individuals taste.  She served it with bacon (Thus, the pork which is usually found in Brunswick stews) and boiled, skinned, buttered new potatoes (which are also found in true Brunswick stew).  My stew is a fairly low fat meal and is open to adding what ever you feel like putting in it; but try it the original way first.  Corn Bread is very good with this! 

This is a stew which is easy to make in a large quantity and put up in the freezer for those days you come home too tired to think of what's for dinner.  For several years now I have made up containers based on family size and given them as gifts with a baked bread on Christmas Eve for a quiet unstressed meal. Yum, it makes me hungry! Enjoy! 

Ingredients:  The amounts you use will be determined by the size pot you are using.  I use mom's original pot which is as big as a canning pot. 

2-3 large packages of thighs and legs, 1 pkg. of wings if desired, boiled and strip meat off the bone 

2-3 c of reserved stock

6 large cans of Tomatoes or 6 qt. Fresh tomatoes skinned- not drained

3 lg. pkg. of frozen Baby Lima Beans or 3 qt. fresh cooked Baby Lima (Butter) Beans

6 cans of Shoepeg Corn or 3 qt. Fresh corn 

Preparation: Boil the chicken, reserve the stock.  Peal the chicken from the bone and set in a bowl.   Place the tomatoes, their juice and about two cups of reserved stock (I use the measuring cup with the spout at the bottom so as not to get too much fat) into your large stewing pan.  Add the corn and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the chicken and the frozen limas.  Return to a boil and cut down to simmer for several hours.  More stock can be added to make it more soupy prior to simmering.  Reduce the liquid by at least an inch before putting up.