North Carolina Chicken Stew Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA FISH STEW

Steps:

• Spray the inside of a large, stockpot with nonstick spray.
• Cut bacon into small pieces and place over the bottom of the pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add a layer of onion, followed by a layer of potatoes, then of fish. Repeat the layers until you run out of one ingredient. Continue to layer the remaining two ingredients until used up. Add cold water to cover everything. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally shaking the pot gently back and forth to agitate the contents and keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Don't stir or the fish will break into small pieces.
• Place tomato paste, one spoonful at a time, into the stew until it falls off the spoon. When the stew color changes to red, crack eggs, one at a time, into the stew, dropping them in different places. Let eggs cook until they are completely done, cutting into a yoke to make sure it is cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper and serve.

SOUTH CAROLINA STYLE CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the chicken breasts (or start with boneless skinless breasts) and place them in a dutch oven or a soup pot. Add the chicken stock and enough water to cover the breasts and have at least 3" of liquid over them.
• Bring the liquid to a simmer and then poach the breasts for 15 minutes. Remove and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
• While poaching the chicken, slice the onions in half "pole to pole" and cut off both the root and tail ends. Peel the onions. Slice the onions pole to pole into 1/4" slices.
• Separate the onion slices and then add them to the liquid in the pot (the chicken has been removed by this time). Continue simmering to cook the onions until translucent.
• When cool enough to handle slice the chicken breasts into 1" cubes. When the onions are done cooking add the chicken cubes back into the pot.
• Add the evaporated milk.
• Cut the butter into 1 T pieces and add to the pot and let it melt.
• Do not boil the stew or the milk will separate!
• Serve with hot sauce.