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Misickquatash (Narragansett for Succotash)
The original Succotash was a dish made by native people for the first Thanksgiving. It was likely a combination of corn and dried beans (succotash) cooked in bear grease. According to one of the early European settlers: “In Winter they [Narragansetts, Wampanoags] esteeme their Corne being boyled with Beanes for a rare dish.” Seeds for heirloom succotash are still available for gardeners. They grow well, become strong climbers, and produce a deep purple bean that can be eaten fresh (green) or allowed to dry on the vine. Native agriculture relied on the trinity — corn, which grew tall; succotash, which needed something sturdy and tall to climb on; and squash, whose broad leaves provided ground cover and kept weeds under control. Dried beans stored well even under primitive conditions.
This recipe is adapted from several in the American Heritage Cookbook and is best prepared with dried succotash from the garden. It uses a bit of bacon rather than bear grease or salt pork and leaves the door open for additional simple ingredients like diced chicken or leftover roasted meat. Just be sure the corn and beans have pride of place.
Ingredients and method
2 cups succotash or other dried beans
2 cups corn, frozen or cut fresh from the cob
1 strip thick-cut bacon (2 strips thin), diced
2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Cover the beans with water and soak overnight or at least 12 hours. Drain them, cover with fresh salted water, and boil until the beans are almost tender (no longer hard to the teeth but still far from mushy). Drain and set aside.
In a four-quart saucepan, fry the bacon, then add the corn, butter, sugar, and water. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 10 minutes. Add the beans (and any options) and cook another five minutes or so. Add salt and pepper to taste (be generous with the salt), then finish with the cream. Heat everything through but do not allow it to boil after the cream has been added.
A few options
- Before the final addition of the beans, take half a cup of the cooked corn mixture and half a cup of the cooked beans. Put them in a small, deep bowl with the cream and puree with a stick blender (or use a food processor). Add that mixture in place of the cream in the final step.
- Try chopped clams, which would have been consistent with a First Thanksgiving.
- Try diced cooked root vegetables like rutabagas or turnips. (Avoid beets.)
- Just keep it simple. Think First Thanksgiving, open-fire cooking, and iron cooking pot.
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