2000s Recipes + Menus

Brunswick Stew

Serves6 to 8 (main course)
  • Active Time:1 hr
  • Start to Finish:2 hr
RECIPE BY EDNA LEWIS
January 2008
Residents of Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick County, Virginia, are both fiercely protective of the provenance of this dish, but let's face it—hunters have lived off this sort of thing forever. Like all stews, this tastes even better the next day.
  • 1 (3-lb) rabbit or chicken, cut with a cleaver through bones into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
  • 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
  • 1 (10-oz) package frozen corn
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans
  • Pat rabbit dry and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
  • Whisk together flour and cayenne in a shallow bowl, then dredge rabbit in flour, shaking off excess.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Brown half of rabbit, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot and brown remaining rabbit; transfer to plate.
  • Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot along with onion, bell pepper, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
  • Add bay leaf, broth, tomatoes with juice, and rabbit with any meat juices from plate and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, 50 minutes.
  • Stir in corn and lima beans, then simmer, uncovered, until stew is slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.
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