Traditional Indigenous Recipes

Choctaw Stew

Every Sunday in winter my dad would announce that he was making “Choctaw Stew.” I never knew what the significance of this stew was other than the makings are very simple and indigenous, but he said that as he grew up in McAlester and Muscogee, his mother also made it at least once a week. It tasted best in summer when the family garden was producing. The base of the stew is rather boring to my taste, so the ingredients in bold are my additions.

Ingredients:

Three peeled potatoes

*Six large peeled carrots

One large chopped white onion

Cooked corn off of five cobs

Three cups cooked green beans

*One cup sweet peas (unless your garden can grow sweet peas, use one can, drained)

*Five cups chicken broth

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

*Garlic to taste (optional)

Jalapenos to taste (optional)

One cup chopped roasted green chiles (optional)

Put all ingredients into a large pot until it boiled. Simmer for at least one hour, adding more chicken broth when needed.
I prefer to add all the ingredients to a large crock pot and let it cook on high for at least six hours—put it together in the morning when you leave for work and it’s ready for dinner.

*Old World ingredient