Brazos River Stew Recipes

BRAZOS RIVER CATFISH STEW

Steps:

• Bring soup and catsup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over open fire. Fry salt pork and saute onions until tender in skillet and add to the soup mixture. Add all other ingredients except fish. If too thick, add 1 cup water. Boil five minutes. Drop in fish, and cook about 5 more minutes.

CHICKEN GROUNDNUT STEW

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in oven roasting pan. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown in hot pan, remove chicken from pan and set aside. Drain off excess fat. Add butter and saute onions for five minutes or until soft. Add carrots (and any additional vegetables*), garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Add 4 cups of hot chicken stock, thyme and habenero. In a separate bowl, whisk peanut butter and tomato paste into remaining 2 cups of stock and add to the pan. Add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to boil, then simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until chicken falls from bones. Season with salt and pepper. Can be served with rice, potatoes or noodles.
• *Optional vegetables to add: eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, cabbage, turnips, or bell peppers.

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW)

Steps:

• Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the length of each prawn deep enough to expose and remove the vein. Place the fish chunks in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to coat. Set the prawns and fish aside while preparing the sauce.
• In a large, shallow Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons dendê oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, stir and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high, add the peppers, tomatoes and chile. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are softened and any liquid from the tomatoes is beginning to evaporate, 4 minutes.
• Pour in the coconut milk, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and reduces to a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, if necessary, and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
• Carefully place the prawns in the sauce in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the prawns to cook the other sides and add the cod. (Discard any juices in the bowl.) The fish will be partly submerged. Cook until the fish is tender and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon dendê oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve immediately, with steamed rice and lime wedges for squeezing.

BRAZOS RIVER STEW

Steps:

• Fry bacon in a Dutch oven or large stew pot.
• Remove bacon and drain on paper towel.
• Add stew meat to pan and sear.
• Lower heat and add tomatoes, beef broth, water celery, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder.
• Cover and simmer 2 hours.
• Remove 1/4 cup broth from stew, cool, and mix with flour.
• Add flour mixture to stew.
• Salt and pepper as needed.
• Add carrots and potatoes and cook 30 minutes.
• Add corn and bacon; cook another 5 minutes.