Chowning's Tavern Brunswick Stew
This is the Brunswick stew served in Williamsburg which I had at Chowning's Tavern. When I made the recipe, I cut it down to a third of the recipe which was enough for my husband and myself with leftovers for another day.
This is the Brunswick stew served in Williamsburg which I had at Chowning's Tavern. When I made the recipe, I cut it down to a third of the recipe which was enough for my husband and myself with leftovers for another day.
- Carbohydrate 78.4983754166667 g
- Cholesterol 168 mg
- Fat 34.9730441666667 g
- Fiber 18.2535209091107 g
- Protein 61.4827479166667 g
- Saturated Fat 9.9098225 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (462g)
- Sodium 184.456833333333 mg
- Sugar 60.244854507556 g
- Trans Fat 3.05452333333333 g
- Calories 870 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all and cook until beans and potatoes are tender.
- If using canned vegetables, cut liquid to 1 quart.
Home cooks frequently misjudge the starch content of lima beans and potatoes, adding them simultaneously with root vegetables that require entirely different softening windows. Starches added too early dissolve completely into slurry before the meat releases its structural integrity, ruining the broth consistency. Utilizing a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven rather than a thin aluminum stockpot prevents scorching along the base when starches begin to gelatinize. Maintaining a steady simmer around two hundred degrees Fahrenheit ensures uniform thermal transfer without aggressively shredding the chicken protein.
Timing depends heavily upon whether fresh or canned vegetables occupy the pot, dictating a dramatic adjustment in liquid volume from three quarts down to one. Fresh lima beans demand at least forty minutes of simmering to soften their dense cellular walls, whereas canned alternatives require merely ten minutes to heat through. Monitoring the potato dice ensures textural accuracy; cubes must yield completely to a paring knife without disintegrating into mush. Incorporating the corn during the final fifteen minutes preserves its crisp bite against the softer backdrop of the root vegetables and legumes.
Scaling this massive recipe down requires precise math, converting six pounds of poultry and multiple quarts of broth into fractions that fit standard four-quart domestic cookware. Reducing the yield to one-third provides adequate servings for two diners while leaving proper headspace in the vessel for boiling. Quantities of salt and pepper scale linearly, but sugar behaves differently and should be adjusted to taste after the vegetables release their natural sweetness. Measuring ingredients by weight rather than volumetric cups yields more consistent results when dividing large historical formulas.
Proper cooling prior to refrigeration prevents dangerous temperature danger zones in deep pots of dense soup. Transferring the liquid into shallow glass containers accelerates heat dissipation before sealing lids and storing them for up to four days. Fat will solidify on the surface during chilling, creating a protective layer that can be easily lifted away before reheating. Reheating portions gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat prevents the starches from sticking to the pan bottom.
