CHICKEN AND CORNED BEEF
A 5- to 6-pound stewing fowl 1 celery stalk, including the
A 3- to 4-pound corned beef brisket green leaves
4 quarts water 4 sprigs fresh parsley and 1
2 large carrots, scraped medium-sized bay leaf tied
1 large onion, peeled and pierced together with kitchen string
with 3 whole cloves
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Wash the fowl thoroughly inside and out under cold running water, remove
and discard any chunks of fat from the cavity. Truss the bird securely with
kitchen string and place it in a 12-quart pot. Add the corned beef brisket
and 4 quarts of water. The water should cover the fowl and brisket by about
1 inch; if necessary, add more water.Bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the foam and scum that rise to the surface. Add the carrots, the clove-pierced onion, the celery stalk and a parsley-and-bay leaf bouquet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 2 hours, or until the fowl is tender and shows no resistance when a thigh is pierced deeply with the point of a small knife. Then transfer the fowl to a plate. Cover and simmer the brisket for about 1 hour longer until it, too, is tender.
With a small, sharp knife, remove and discard the skin and bones from the fowl. Then cut the meat into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Transfer the brisket to a plate and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a deep bowl and skim as much fat as possible from the surface. (There should be about 3 quarts of broth.)
BEANS
2 to 3 quarts water 4 sprigs fresh parsley and 1
2 c (1 pound) dried pea beans medium-sized bay leaf tied
1 large onion, peeled and pierced together with kitchen string
with 3 whole cloves 2 tsp salt
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Meanwhile, prepare the beans in the following fashion: In a heavy 4- to
5-quart casserole, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop
in the dried beans and boil them uncovered for about 2 minutes. (The water
should cover the beans by at least 2 inches; if necessary, add more water.)
Turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Then add a clove-pierced
onion, a second parsley-and-bay leaf bouquet and 2 teaspoons of salt and
bring to a boil again.Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan and simmer the beans for about 1 hour, or until they can be easily mashed against the side of the pan with a spoon. (Check the beans from time to time as they simmer and add more boiling water if needed.) Drain the beans through a fine sieve and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the onion and the bouquet, transfer the beans to a bowl and mash them to a smooth paste with a fork.
1 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut Two 1-pound, 4-ounce cans whole-
into 1-inch cubes kernel hominy
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Pour 4 cups of the chicken-and-brisket stock into a 3- to 4-quart enameled
or stainless-steel saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Drop in the
rutabaga and cook briskly, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes until it is
tender. Drain in a sieve or colander set over a bowl.Measure the rutabaga cooking liquid and pour it into a heavy 8- to 10-quart casserole. Add enough chicken-and-brisket stock to make 8 cups of liquid in all. Then add the rutabaga, the mashed beans and the canned hominy and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes.
Stir in the pieces of chicken and beef, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes longer. Check the pan from time to time and, if the mixture seems dry, add more of the meat stock or, if you have used it all, add as much of the bean stock as you need. When finished, the succotash should be thick, with most of the liquid in the pan evaporated. Taste for seasoning and serve at once, mounded on a deep platter or in a large bowl. Serves 10 to 12.
