Brunswick Stew

Ingredients

• 2 whole chickens (4-5 lbs. each), quartered
• 6 quarts water
• 4 15-oz. cans lima beans, undrained
• 5 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes undrained and chopped
• 7-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 16-oz. packages frozen baby lima beans
• 2 large (or 3 medium) yellow onions, chopped
• 6 15-oz. cans cream corn
• 1/2 + 1/8 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. salt
• 3 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. hot sauce

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven, bring chicken and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until meat peels away from the bone. Remove chicken and all but 8 cups of the broth. Add the tomatoes and the liquid from the lima beans. Bring broth back to a boil, and cook (stirring frequently) for 40 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.

Skin, bone and shred chicken (depending on the texture you like, you can process in a blender or food processor to save time). Mash the strained lima beans with a potato masher. Add chicken, mashed and frozen beans, potatoes and onion to Dutch oven. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 3 1/2 hours. Stir in corn and remaining ingredients; cook over low heat for an additional hour.

Note: I tend to cook large dishes, and this is no exception. I use a 12-quart cast iron Dutch oven (cheap and durable), but this can be scaled down if needed.