Klary generously donated to us some of her this year's batch of erwtensoep, or snert (or Dutch split pea soup), and it really was a knockout. And we're not just saying that so we get to be on the snertlijst for next year.
The biggest differences between Klary's construction and the versions we've had in the past were: the consistency (not as thick as most we've had), and the variety of meats therein: not just rookworst (sausage), but plenty of shredded pork, and it makes a huge difference in terms of livening up the overall texture. Klary also says that her extra-long cooking time is a vital factor, and well heck we believe her. Here's her recipe.
In response to this textbook snert delivery, we're going to return fire with a batch of something from our past that the shredded pork in this soup immediately brought to mind: Brunswick Stew.
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Most BBQ joints in Georgia worth anything at all offer Brunswick Stew on the menu, but I had my first taste before I could even drive, because it used to make regular appearances on our school lunch menu (which I'm sure was just the result of someone opening an industrial-sized can of Castleberry's). We drifted apart for a while there, Brunswick Stew and I, when I went down to Florida for a spell, but we found each other again after I graduated from "college" and started discovering the aforementioned Georgia BBQ joints.
I also started becoming a pretty regular visitor to St. Simons Island, the closest attractive coastal area to Atlanta. On the way to St. Simons, you pass through none other than Brunswick, Georgia, home of...
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Well, not really. Looks like Brunswick Stew may have originated in Virginia. But nonetheless, there's plenty of darn good stew to be had as you head towards the Georgia coast.
The biggest challenge in making this is going to be finding a recipe that serves less than 12 people. Yes, I know I can fractionize the dang things, I ain't retarded. But you know, sometimes they don't work out quite right.
Anyways, here's what I dug up, recipe-wise: About.com has several recipes, but I've never had bell peppers or ham in mine, so I'm-a suspicious. In fact, none of them really look right.
Ah, right. Here's the eGullet topic on Brunswick Stew.
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5 comments:
we had some from the freezer last night too, and I have to say it was thinner than the ´fresh´ version. This stuff freezes well flavorwise, but I think the consistency suffers a bit - it becomes a little less creamy and homogenous.
Glad to see a Brunswick Stew aficionado! We worked hard on that recipe on eGullet (OK, Dave worked hard on it, and I enjoyed the fruits of his labor). I finally found a restaurant that serves a great Brunswick Stew. It's taken me 44 years, but it was worth the wait. It's The Pit, in Raleigh. Amazing stuff.
heck, mama...I thought that consistency thing was on purpose. Still, the biggest improvement over my past snert-ings has to be the abundance of non-sausage pork in there. and putting it in late in the cooking process so the smokiness isn't overwhelming.
your rookworst seemed above average as well...mara wants to know where you got "everything that went in there". (;->)
hey, varmint! you guys did work hard on it, that's a lot of reading out there. bummer that the photos from the pig pickin' itself don't seem to be visible anymore...or is it just me?
and congratulations on finding The Pit! jealous here, still Googling around for a recipe that will taste like my memories...
The smoked sausage and all the pork that went in it (ribs and a pice of shoulder) came from butcher Hermanm de Wit, in de Wakkerstraat 13. It`s the best smoked sausage I tasted since my dad retired as a butcher!
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