Quick and Easy Brunswick Stew

This is a small recipe, just for two people, that I developed for camping. It’s not very sophisticated, and a far cry from the gallons and gallons served by volunteers at the Brunswick, Georgia “Rockin’ Stewbilee.”

There’s a secret ingredient that the folks in Brunswick put in their Brunswick Stew. Read my article about the Stewbilee to learn what it is, and make your own stew more authentic and tasty.

2 diced potatoes
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 bunch of celery, diced
20 baby carrots, cut in half
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 small can flaked turkey or chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste

In a large pot, saute onion and celery in a tablespoon of oil. Throw in everything else but the garlic. Add about a cup of water and simmer until the potatoes are done. Then add the garlic and salt and simmer for a minute or two.

You can also make it in a pressure cooker. Saute the onion and celery in the oil, throw in the rest of the ingredients except for the garlic. Add a half cup of water. Pressure cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow pressure to come down naturally, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and salt to taste.

In addition to the “secret ingredient,” the authentic recipes I tasted also contained things like corn, lima beans, okra, barbecue sauce, beef, and pork. It all depends on what’s in your fridge, but the key is to have all the flavors balanced.