[stompy]

Hi all,

We have started with the stews again now the weather is becoming colder, we usually have them on a tuesday but the last one i made (we had it last night) was rather poor in flavour.

What do you use stock cubes/real stock/ and ingredients, not exact quantities as every stew is different due to whats available.

I usually save the bones (frozen) until i have enough to make a stock.

1 onion large, finely chopped
6 carrots, medium
5 potatoes, medium
1 swede (size of a grapefruit) diced into 1cm squares

I also sometimes add squash or sweet potatoe too?

Andy

[compostqueen]

Herbs are an essential I'd say and I always have a selection, so if you don't then get growing some.  Bay and thyme are a good basis for a stew.  A good flavouring for a stew with chicken, pork or rabbit is Florence fennel, and a bulb quartered when you do the onions, emparts a lovely flavour. You can get some boullions with Florence fennel in it (if you have no fresh stuff).   Celery is also a good flavour provider and you can add that after you've sweated off your onions.  I also like celeriac and this should be available at an allotment near you now    This is powerful so you don't need much, and you can use a bit of the foliage but again not too much as it's pungent. Celeriac goes well with mushrooms, so if you have a bit of smoked bacon, celeriac and good flavoured mushrooms such as the field or chesnuts, and a few chunks of spud, onion blah blah, you've soon got the makings of a good stewy soup (chowder  )

[mumofstig]

I find that cooking potatoes in the stew seems to dilute the favours somehow
(they do say add potato to curry if it's too hot, don't they ) and prefer to cook them separately.
I agree you need to add herbs - thyme & rosemary, bayleaves are good, but fish them out before serving. I grow Parcel, a celery/parsley leaf herb for adding to winter stews
I always add peas, beans, lentils or pearl barley to my stews as well, they seem to thicken the stew up

I taste at the end and will add any or all of these to taste:- more salt & pepper, chilli, tomato puree, or good old stock cubes.

[stompy]

I did think about lentils and pearl barly.

Im not keen on stock cubes as i like the idea that the stew is aunatural, just salt pepper and the likes, no preservatives or any binders etc etc etc.
I never even thought of adding herbs.   

Lentils always make me think of Neil from the young ones. 

[Ice]

All of the delicious above.  I've recently discovered Knorr Stock Pots and I'm now a convert.  I occasionally make my own chicken stock but don't bother with any other kind as it takes too long.  Don't like stock cubes as they are too salty.

[arugula]

Still all of the above, chuck in what you fancy or keep it simple to a few ingredients, but brown the meat first.

[Ice]

brown the meat first.

Absolutely.  A good glug of wine in both the stew and the chef also helps.

[noshed]

Burn some onions with the skin on. That's tasty

[mumofstig]

They do now make stock cubes with less salt in 

[stompy]

I just don't want to be adding unknown additives to the stew from the stock cubes, i think this is one of the meals we eat that has nothing but fresh pure ingredients in it.

Saying that though Knorr do very good ones now don't they?

I lightly soften the onions in some olive oil with salt and pepper then add the meat and lightly brown, then add the stock and finally the veg and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

We eat it the next night.

I always roast the bones before making the stock too as this increases the flavour dramaticaly.
I will be adding some herbs next time though  

[Kleftiwallah]

MY RECIPE - but only a guide !    

Shin of beef, don't let the butcher cut it up, do it youself and remove those big chunks of fat.  Brown it to the extreme, the posers call it caramelizing.

Imagine how many onions you need and double it (red uns and white uns).   Fry within an inch of their lives then add chopped garlic by the lb.  

Peel and chop up as many veggies that grow at or below ground level as you can get your hands on, the 'more interesting, the better, leeks included.

Soak red lentils, split peas and pearl barley (equal quantities) in boiling water overnight.

Four (or more) stock cubes crushed in a big jug, Worcestershire sauce - just keep on glugging it in, mixed herbs 'bout a handfull,  salt and freshly ground black pepper, couple of squirts of tabaso mix with boiling water and if there is any room in the jug, fill up with red wine (damson is good).

Chuck it all into a preserving pan and bring to a gentle boil, cut the power down to simmer, chuck the lid on  then leave for about 24 hours.  

Best eaten when it has been on the hob so long the corners of the carrots have worn away !     :happy:    Cheers,     Tony.    

P.S. don't forget about the doughboys !

[stompy]

MMM MMM MMM,

That sounds fantastic, im drooling already.

[Springlands]

Guinness casserole

Some sort of beef (could be braising or shin)
Clove garlic (optional)
Onions (chopped)
Carrots (chopped)
Can Guinness
One teaspoon of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the meat into cubes and brown in a little oil, add onions and brown slightly, add a little plain flour and stir until all the meat juices are absorbed. Pour in the Guinness (be careful if the pot is too hot the Guinness will froth up) and add the carrots, a teaspoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for at least 2 hours preferably longer. If you wish you could add mushrooms to the stew about half way through.
Serve with fluffy mashed potatoes and green veggies of your choice.

This really tasty - it smells funny when you first add the Guinness but that soon disappears.

[mumofstig]

I just don't want to be adding unknown additives to the stew from the stock cubes, i think this is one of the meals we eat that has nothing but fresh pure ingredients in it.

Saying that though Knorr do very good ones now don't they?

Knorr low salt chicken stock cubes.

Ingredients: Salt,Maltodextrin ,Vegetable Fat ,Potato Starch ,Sugar ,Flavour (contains Mustard) ,Yeast Extract ,Chicken Fat (1.5%) ,Carrot ,Spices (Turmeric, Celery Seed) ,Parsley ,Sugar Syrup ,Citric Acid ,Spice Extract
Free from Artificial colours and flavours, and MSG free.

[compostqueen]

Marigold make an organic boullion. I've not found that one to be salty

I grow Par-cel too MumofStig and manage to keep it going as a perennial.  She says with fingers crossed that it will reappear next year 

Some spuds are better in stews than others, and I find the rock hard Desiree a good one    You can add them towards the end but I don't. If they cook down a bit it adds to the general unctuousness    A bit of cauli also cooks down and thickens things up, and is good for folks who think they don't like it