Ingredients:
3 4-pound whole broiler chickens
1 quart chicken stock or broth
2 quarts water
Salt & fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb. Thick cut bacon, cut into 2” pieces and cooked
6 large yellow onions, chopped coarsely
6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered
18 yellow fin potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups fresh Lima beans or 3-10 oz packages frozen
8 ears of corn, husked, and cut into 1” rounds
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
In a large shallow pot, simmer the chickens with the chicken stock, water, and salt and pepper over low heat until they are tender, about 1 hour. Skim the broth often.
Remove the chickens from the pot to a bowl to cool. Return the broth to the stove, increase the heat to high, and reduce broth by one quarter. Return the heat to low and continue to simmer.
Remove and discard the skin and bones, keeping the meat in as large size as possible. Return the meat to the broth and add the bacon, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, and Lima beans (only if fresh) and simmer for 1 hour, constantly skimming the pot.
If you are using frozen Lima beans, make sure they are defrosted and add them at the end with the corn and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer an additional 10 minutes and add the butter to the pot, allowing it to melt into the stew.