Wash Pot

Did anyone in your family have a wash pot?  Both of my grandparents had wash pots and they used them frequently.  They were used primarily for washing clothes or making lye soap. I can still remember my grandmother Gregory making lye soap outside in the yard using a wash pot and a wood fire. Man, that was some vile stuff. 

Today there are better ways of using a wash pot. They are great for cooking large pots of Brunswick stew or low country chicken bog. 

I still have my grandmother Mangum's wash pot shown above. I have cleaned it up and equipped it with an LP gas burner. The last time it was used was when my dad, my uncle Dossie (Maurice, Larry, and Geri's father) and I cooked a large pot of Brunswick stew under the barn shelter. We had a great time even though uncle Dossie was suffering with cancer and passed away shortly there after. That has been several years ago. 

As the weather begins to get cold, I'm beginning to get a hankering for some good old chicken bog. If you have never heard of chicken bog, I have posted the recipe below. Boy, is it good. The problem is that it is hard to cook a small amount of chicken bog in a large wash pot. I am counting on you to help me eat it. I am thinking sometime in November. I will keep you advised. 

Original recipe makes 6 servingsChange Servings

• 6 cups water

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken

• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 1/2 pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced

• 2 tablespoons Italian-style seasoning

• 2 cubes chicken bouillon

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1. Place water, salt and onion in a large pot. Add chicken and bring all to a boil; cook until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.
2. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Remove skin and bones and chop remaining meat into bite size pieces.
3. Skim off fat from cooking liquid and measure 3 1/2 cups of this chicken broth into a 6-quart saucepan. Add rice, chicken pieces, sausage, herb seasoning and bouillon to this saucepan. Cook all together for 30 minutes; let come to a boil, then reduce heat to low, keeping pan covered the whole time. If mixture is too watery or juicy, cook over medium low heat, uncovered, until it reaches the desired consistency. Stir often while cooking.