This week we decided to try a stew recipe: Brunswick Stew. A few weeks ago we tried Sunday Supper Soup, and found it was so delicious, we wanted to try some other soup options in the collection. Brunswick Stew comes from McCall's Great American Recipe Collection (1973), The Old South.
The teen learned about saving money buying in bulk and freezing. Instead of using a whole chicken, which I would have had to purchase, we used leg quarters I had purchased previously on sale and froze.
With this recipe she also learned how to cut raw bacon. She did not like that too much. I taught her how to brown bacon and onion without burning it: Toss ingredients frequently to avoid scorching.
Cutting raw boned chicken was new to her also. The technique here is to find the joint and cut into the bend and follow the natural line. This always works for me. It worked for her, no mutilated pieces or cut fingers.
We had to buy celery for this dish. We do not use celery as often as we probably should, but in light of the occasion, I introduced her to our trusty FoodSaver. She was stuck cutting an entire bunch of celery for future recipes. I told her this will save money and time later.
These handy pouches are in the freezer ready and waiting for the next recipe! I love my FoodSaver!
The results of the chicken Brunswick Stew were fantastic. For those not akin to Lima beans, you could not even tell they were in there by taste. The okra made the dish almost like a southern gumbo. Take a look at our chicken Brunswick Stew:
The Sunday Supper Soup is a card my husband pulled when we were deciding what to cook for family night this week. He thought meatballs in soup would be an interesting combination. I have to admit I thought the same thing. The girls were not so enthusiastic. Sunday Supper Soup is from McCall's Great American Recipe Card Collection (1973), Sundays at Home.
The ingredients in this meatball soup are some you may have on hand. I just happened to have everything except for the beef broth. I should start keeping some. Thankfully I did not have to drive all the way to the grocery store, they had some at the convenience store.
The teen was not too excited about mixing and rolling up meatballs. This is not one of my favorite tasks either. She did get right into it and get it done. She learned trying to mix raw meat with a spoon is not how you go about making meatballs. Sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.
Another thing she learned was sometimes meatballs don't cooperate when you brown them. Gentle persuasion with tongs may be necessary. One broke during the browning process. We decided it's all going to the same place, what difference does it make if one or two break?
She learned a new term preparing this recipe: Paring. Paring is peeling. Peeling used to be done with a paring knife before peelers became popular. I'm sure there are a lot of cooks who still use paring knives for peeling. However, I had not used or seen this term since my Nana taught me how to cook.
The end result of this recipe was a delicious combination of meat, broth, and vegetables. We served our Sunday Supper Soup with pan fried garlic bread and a tossed salad. I'm not changing a thing on this recipe, it's perfect!
