Fowler stew
 | |
| Place of origin | United Commonwealth |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Appalachia |
| Associated national cuisine | Continental cuisine |
| Creator | Elliot Fowler |
| Invented |
1910s (Traditional mulligan stew) 1950s (Served on French fries) |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Cookbook:Fowler stew | |
Fowler stew or Boxcar stew is a traditional Continental flour-based stew made with a combination of meats and vegetables, and often served with french fries or mashed potatoes. It traces its origins to mulligan stew and evolved in the United Commonwealth to incorporate french fries with the stew poured over it, similar to poutine. It grew in popularity beginning in the 1910s as a popular meal within the hobo community. It was named after Elliot Fowler, who is credited with popularizing the dish as he frequently served the dish in mass quantities. Its symbolic value and association with Continentalism grew when political leaders of the Continetalist Party in 1917 publicly endorsed it as their food of choice. It has become synonymous with the party's poverty relief efforts.
When the party established their base of operations in Appalachian based, the recipe was standardized, based on the utilization of local rations that were readily available. Fowler strew, in its traditional form, is prepared on a bed of mashed or unmashed potatoes. The stew itself was prepared in a multi-burner hobo stove, where a combination of ramps, corn, squash were boiled, with either a single meat or a combination of meats cooked alongside with it. The most popular meats prepared in Fowler stew are venison, wild hog or chicken. French fries became added into Fowler stew during the 1960s as fast food culture spread throughout the United Commonwealth.
The dish has become regarded as the United Commonwealth's national dish and is popular throughout Anglo-America and Europe, especially in Sierra where it is most often eaten in a hot box form.