Easy Brunswick Stew

Easy Brunswick Stew

1/2 pound ground beef
1 can tomatoes
2 cups diced potatoes
1 small diced onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon pepper sauce
1 cup corn

Brown beef, pepper and salt. Add all the other ingredients except for the corn. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

Add corn. Let cook about 5 minutes until heated through. Add a dash of red pepper or Tabasco sauce if you like it.

Southern Catfish Stew

Southern Catfish Stew

1 pound catfish fillets
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Wash the catfish fillets and cut them into 1-inch pieces.

Fry the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

Add the fish and cook for 20 minutes. Correct the seasonings if necessary and serve hot with cornbread.

Makes 6 servings.

Oriental Pork Stew

Oriental Pork Stew

1 pound boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup celery, cut diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 cup frozen green beans
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 (2.5 ounce) jars mushrooms
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Chow mein noodles

Saut? pork, onion, and garlic in oil until meat is brown. Stir in 2 cups water, bouillon and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 30 minutes or until pork is tender.

Add vegetables, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp and tender.

Mix together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Add to stew, and stir in until stew has thickened.

Serve with chow mein noodles.

Grand Central Station Oyster Stew

Grand Central Station Oyster Stew

The oyster bar that opened in Grand Central Station in New York City on May 22, 1912 still serves an Oyster Stew made according to its original recipe.

2 cups milk
2 cups light cream
1 quart oysters and liquor
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
Celery salt
Paprika (optional)

This recipe is prepared quickly. Heat soup bowls before you begin. Scald milk and cream together but do not boil. Drain oyster liquor into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Heat oysters in a separate saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oyster liquor and the butter until the oysters are plump and the edges begin to curl. Remove from heat immediately. Combine hot milk and cream, hot oysters and hot oyster liquor. Add salt, pepper and celery salt. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with paprika, and serve with oyster crackers.

Serves 6 to 8.

Chicken Stew With Rosemary Dumplings

Chicken Stew With Rosemary Dumplings

Serves 4 to 6.

1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) black pepper
1 (3 pound – 1.5 kg) whole chicken about, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick
2 stalks celery, sliced, 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried rosemary
2 cups (500 mL) chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas

Rosemary Dumplings
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Fresh rosemary sprigs

In a bowl or plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. In batches, add chicken pieces to flour mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a plate.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until brown on all sides. Set aside.

Add carrots, celery, onion and rosemary to crockpot. Set chicken pieces over vegetables.

Pour 1/2 cup (125 mL) stock into skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour pan juices into crockpot along with remaining stock. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, until vegetables are tender and stew is bubbling. Add peas and stir gently to combine.

Dumplings: In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, rosemary and salt. In a measuring cup combine milk and egg. Mix well and add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork to make a lumpy dough (do not overmix – lumps are fine). Drop dumpling mixture over chicken pieces. Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 to 30 minutes or until tester inserted in centre of dumpling comes out clean.

Elephant Stew

Elephant Stew

1 medium-size elephant
Brown gravy
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 rabbits (optional)

Cut elephant into bite-size pieces. This should take about 2 months. Cover with brown gravy. Cook over kerosene fire, in big black pot, about 4 weeks at 465 degrees F.

Serves 3,800. If more are expected, add 2 rabbits. Add these only if necessary as most people do not like to find hare in their stew.

Shrimp Stew

Shrimp Stew

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, diced
1 cup small, peeled shrimp
3 cups water
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

Make the roux: In a heavy bottom saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add flour all at once and stir constantly until the roux is golden brown. (Note: do not cook the roux too fast. If black flecks appear, the roux is burned and you must discard and start over. It may take 45 minutes to 1 hour to make the roux. The end result is worth the time.)

Add the onion to the roux and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is soft and light brown.

Lower heat to simmer, add the shrimp, and cook for about 10 minutes. Slowly stir in the water. Raise heat to medium and continue cooking until the stew reaches a boil. Stir in the green bell pepper, celery, parsley, salt and pepper.

Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Five-hour Stew

Five-hour Stew

1 1/2 pounds stew meat
4 carrots
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of marjoram
1 cup red wine

Combine ingredients and place in casserole. Cover tightly. Place in oven at 250 degrees F for 5 hours. Thicken with flour and water before serving.

Serve with dumplings, mashed potatoes or cooked noodles.

Beef Stew In Acorn Squash

Beef Stew In Acorn Squash

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium or 1 large yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup red wine
1 bay leaf
Sprig thyme, marjoram or rosemary
3 cups beef broth
4 medium acorn squash
8 to 10 baby new potatoes, cooked
1/2 cup pearl onions
1/2 cup sugar snap peas

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Add stewing beef and toss to coat the meat.

Meanwhile, coat the bottom of a large heavy pot with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add beef to the pot and allow it to brown on all sides, adding more oil as needed. When all the beef is browned, reserve it and its juices in a bowl.

Add diced onion, celery, carrot, green pepper and garlic to the pot; cook, stirring, on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to free flavorful bits. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook vegetables for 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add red wine, allowing it to reduce to a glaze in the bottom of the pot.

Return beef to pot along with the bay leaf and your choice of herbs (thyme, marjoram or rosemary). Add the beef broth and bring to a brief boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and maintain a low simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour.

While stew is slowly cooking, prepare squash by cutting a shallow slice off the top of each to make a lid; remove the seeds and strings. Lightly rub the inside of each squash with salt, pepper and olive oil. Replace lids and place on a lined baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees F until tender when pricked with a knife, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.

Before serving stew, add baby new potatoes, pearl onions and sugar snap peas; gently reheat, if necessary. Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Carefully ladle stew into each squash and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 large servings.

Tennessee Hamburger Stew

Tennessee Hamburger Stew

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon margarine
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1 (19 ounce) can tomatoes
3 medium potatoes, pared and sliced
3 medium carrots, scraped and
thickly sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 split hot biscuits

Brown beef lightly in margarine, stirring with fork to break up meat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients, except hot biscuits; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve on biscuits.