Sobaheg means "stew" to the Wampanoag (wamp-u-nuck), a Native American tribe that inhabited present-day southern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island. This Wild Turkey Sobaheg Stew simmers for 3 to 4 hours and makes 6 to 8 servings. - Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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FoodForHunters.com
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. wild turkey legs/breast
- vegetable oil
- kosher or sea salt, to taste
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 8 to 10 cups of water
- 14 whole raw chestnuts
- 1 lb. butternut squash, cut into large cubes
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can of great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 to 2 cups hominy, drained
- 10 juniper berries, toasted and ground
- fresh mint, chopped
- freshly cracked pepper
Directions
- Coat bottom of large heavy-bottomed pot with cooking oil and heat over medium. Pat dry meat with paper towels and cut into cubes. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. In batches, brown meat in pot to a nice sear on all sides.
- Return all meat to pot and cover with water. Add halved onion. Bring to a boil and scrape bottom of pot with wooden spoon. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 hours or until meat becomes tender.
- While meat cooks, cut across each chestnut shell and cover with water in small saucepan. Boil chestnuts for 20 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Remove 2 or 3 nuts at a time and peel off outer hard shell and inner paperlike member. NOTE: The membrane becomes difficult to peel when it cools even slightly.
- Transfer all chestnuts to food processor and grind as finely as possible. Set aside.
- In the main pot, remove meat from bones, if any, and discard bones. Discard onion.
- Stir in butternut squash, hominy, beans and ground chestnuts. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until squash becomes tender but not mushy. Simmer longer for a thicker stew, or use more ground nuts. For thinner stew, add water or chicken stock.
- Season as desired and serve.
