Hairy Bikers Brunswick Stew

Chicken thighs carry this Hairy Bikers Brunswick stew, simmered with streaky bacon, tomatoes and potatoes before butterbeans and sweetcorn join for the last 20 minutes. So the Chicken & Egg version feeds 6 to 8 in under 2 hours, at roughly 415 calories each for 6 by my sums.

Virginia’s Proclamation Stew Crew made it for Si and Dave, who say the crew cooks up “huge amounts of this feast of a dish”. But the teaspoon each of chilli flakes and dark brown sugar is what gives their version a gentle sweet heat, to my taste.

The thighs go in whole and simmer covered for about an hour, and they write that the chicken ends up “tender and falling apart”. Then the browned bacon goes back in alongside them, and I think that’s where the stock gets so much depth.

Hairy Bikers Brunswick Stew

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Simmering Cuisine:British American Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time:1 hour 35 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:415 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Bacon browns first and comes out, then onions, garlic and chilli flakes soften before the chicken, stock, tomatoes, sugar and potatoes go in. After an hour under a lid, butterbeans and sweetcorn join for a final uncovered simmer, with parsley scattered on top.

Ingredients

To start the stew

• 25g butter
• 3 rashers of streaky bacon, diced
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 bay leaf
• 500ml chicken stock
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar
• 450g potatoes, diced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish

• 400g can of butterbeans, drained
• 326g can of sweetcorn, drained
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Brown the bacon: Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a medium heat and fry the bacon until browned. Then lift it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
2. Soften the onions: Gently fry the onions in the same dish for a couple of minutes, until they begin to soften. Then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another minute or so.
3. Add the chicken: Push the onions to the side, add the chicken thighs and browned bacon, and season with salt and pepper. Then turn up the heat, add the bay leaf, stock, tomatoes, sugar and potatoes, and stir.
4. Cover and simmer: Bring the stew to the boil, then turn down the heat. Next cover the dish and simmer for about an hour.
5. Finish uncovered: Stir in the butterbeans and sweetcorn, season again and simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes, stirring now and then. So by then the chicken should be tender, and the stew thick enough to scatter with parsley and serve in big bowlfuls.

FAQs

Where does Brunswick stew come from?

Si and Dave call it a traditional dish of the southern US, probably first cooked in 1828 in Brunswick, Virginia, for a hunting party. But back then the meat was most likely squirrel, whereas most people choose chicken now.

Does Brunswick stew have potatoes?

Theirs does, with 450g of diced potatoes added alongside the stock, so they simmer for about 1 hour 20 minutes. And they say they adapted the recipe to use ingredients available in the UK, so I’d say nothing here is hard to find.

I’d cool leftovers quickly, keep them in the fridge and eat them within 2 days, reheated until piping hot. But I wouldn’t freeze it, since potato tends to turn grainy once thawed.

How do you thicken Brunswick stew?

Their method does it for you, because the lid comes off for the last 20 minutes and it should end up “rich and thick”. And they say to stir occasionally, which I’d do anyway so nothing catches on the bottom as the liquid reduces.

What do you serve with Brunswick stew?

They only say big bowlfuls, so the pairings here are mine. And I’d start with the plain Southern cornbread on their Mums Know Best cornbread page, which they rate as “a great accompaniment”.

And a crunchy side cuts through the richness, which is why I’d put their Meat Feasts celeriac coleslaw on the table too.

Is Brunswick stew healthy?

I’d call it lighter than it looks, since by my sums it’s about 310 calories each for 8, with skinless thighs and beans. So for 6 it’s close to their chicken cider casserole with bacon at 435, and well under their Flemish shin beef stew at about 810.