|
05 Sep 25 - 02:20 PM (#4228108) Subject: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle If you were going to create a beef stew or a chicken stew, what would you put in it? I did one yesterday and one of the eaters didn't like mushrooms. I didn't know he didn't like mushrooms. Has anyone got some brilliant ideas for ingedients. All contributions gratefully received. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 03:04 PM (#4228111) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Hi Big Al, I made this a couple of days ago. One of my faves: Irish Beef and Guinness Stew I use the leftovers to make pies using store-bought puff pastry, and we had that for dinner last night. I use a bit of ras el hanout spice mix in the stew too and I always add carrots and orange sweet potato (aka kumera) chunks, slow cook it for about three hours. Yum! My other favourite stews are beef and prunes, or lamb and apricot which are also good in pies. For chicken, one of my faves is paprika chicken although I don't add tomato paste to mine. I don't add other vegetables to the cooking. I serve them on the side because the taste of the dish is so good and simple and I don't want to muddle it up with other flavours. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 05:07 PM (#4228116) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle some great ideas there Helen - the bacon sounds good as does the garlic and thickenig flour. I was considering red wine. Im not too sure about the potatoes, which have foud disintegrate not altogether nicely. Thanks very much. My wife doesn't like celery - so I'm not confident about that either. Idid put in carrots which were fine as were the mushrooms. I was watching the cook Jean Pierre on Youtube and I loved the way he cut up the mushrooms. Anyway thanks very much. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 05:17 PM (#4228118) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Joe Offer Turnips. Ya gotta have turnips. Also celery, carrots, potatoes, onions....and meat. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 05:22 PM (#4228119) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Well I cheated and found an online recipe to paste the link here but I don't put potatoes or celery in my beef & Guinness stew. I also use a different Aussie brand of stout which is called "Cooper's extra stout" because Guinness is more expensive. For thickening, near the end of the cooking time I put about 3/4 cup of red lentils in and cook it for the last 20 minutes. It thickens the stew nicely, the flavour is not over-powering, it blends in well with the flavour of the stew, and it has the advantage of adding a bit of healthy fibre. The beef in red wine is a great variation too and is a very similar recipe to the beef & Guinness. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 06:36 PM (#4228125) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: BobL Steak and Mock Oyster casserole - beef, onions, sliced mushrooms, stock/beer and a teaspoonful of anchovy essence. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 07:00 PM (#4228127) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage We've gone too long without a food thread! Thanks, Al! I like to brown the beef and braise it to make it tender and bring out the flavor, before adding onion, potatoes, and carrots. That is pretty much it for a pot roast; if I'm making stew then I like to also add parsnips (Turnips and Rutabagas or Swedes are too bitter for my appreciation). Season with some Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and red wine. I tend to put garlic in many dishes, but for some reason leave it out of beef stew. Season with a big grind of black pepper, salt (I use non-sodium salt these days), and sometimes some dried oregano or thyme. At the end I thicken the gravy with a little flour (I don't use wheat now, so a non-gluten product, or use cornstarch.) Chicken stew is a totally different creature, one that doesn't braise, that I usually make with potatoes, carrots, onions, salt, pepper, oregano, and must have green peas added at the end. Make the broth into a gravy same as above. I wouldn't mind mushrooms in either one, but it isn't a usual ingredient. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 07:50 PM (#4228129) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen I'm not a fan of mushrooms or anchovies, so thanks but no thanks BobL, although my Hubby would eat it. He'd probably add real oysters too. He likes what I call "smelly things" food - oysters, prawns, the whole fishy lot. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 11:35 PM (#4228131) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage The thing about anchovies is that they are an umami ingredient, so they won't necessarily give a fish flavor, they'll just boost everything else. |
|
05 Sep 25 - 11:50 PM (#4228132) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Yeah, nuh! Not for me. LOL |
|
06 Sep 25 - 02:05 AM (#4228136) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman Beer, Herbs, pearl barley, potatoes . carrots |
|
06 Sep 25 - 10:47 AM (#4228140) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Donuel Roasted nuts when stewed have a tender meaty texture and flavor. |
|
06 Sep 25 - 11:26 AM (#4228143) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: sciencegeek LOL being a Heinz 57 American with two immigrant grandmothers, my ancestry's cuisines include the UK, central Europe and the Mediterranean... then I married into a Scots-Irish, Bohemian and Polish family. Growing up the main difference between a stew and soup was based on what we had in the pantry and how many would be at the table, add a little more water and seasoning with plenty of bread to fill you up. :) Stewed zucchini with chopped onion, celery, bell or cubanelle pepper, tomatoes and some left over Italian sausage would have garlic, basil, oregano and some left over spaghetti sauce would be ladled up and coated with grated cheese along with thick slices of Italian bread for dipping and cleaning the bowl. |
|
06 Sep 25 - 01:00 PM (#4228152) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle yes Sandman herbs, but which herbs? |
|
06 Sep 25 - 01:03 PM (#4228153) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MudGuard it ain't a stew without onions. Meat to onion ratio between 1 and 2 ... |
|
06 Sep 25 - 04:05 PM (#4228160) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Donuel By the third reheating, the egg noodles have dissolved and the meats are tender. |
|
06 Sep 25 - 04:06 PM (#4228161) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen The usual herbs are good: oregano, thyme, parsley. I have a herb mix which I buy from the supermarket. It is called Italian Herb Mix and it includes Garlic, Tomato, Basil, Onion, Black Pepper, Oregano, Parsley, Marjoram, Bell Pepper Red. It's a quick fix for a few of my recipes and I just add a bit extra of whatever else suits the dish. |
|
06 Sep 25 - 05:25 PM (#4228167) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman which herbs you use is a matter of taste,my recommendation is rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley |
|
06 Sep 25 - 08:02 PM (#4228172) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Raggytash There's a song in there somewhere |
|
07 Sep 25 - 01:28 PM (#4228207) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Georgiansilver Lamb of course. Swede, carrot, parsnip, celery (yes celery) fresh beetroot. leeks, and Bisto onion gravy for sure.....plus whatever else you fancy adding. |
|
07 Sep 25 - 01:40 PM (#4228208) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Fresh beetroot! I've had borscht but I've never put fresh beetroot in a lamb stew. I used to make succotash from a recipe in an old book I have with recipe sections on different vegetables. I know there are lots of variations of succotash but I think the key ingredient is corn kernels. And sorry Raggytash, but your name reminded me of that recipe. :-) |
|
08 Sep 25 - 07:54 PM (#4228272) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mrrzy My local grocery has started carrying ground goat. Tonight's stew, keto … Onion (out of celery) bell pepper zucchini, goat, a spice called Resist! which has many different peppers, oregano marjoram, out of garlic (poo!). Chicken broth, tomsto paste. Yum. |
|
08 Sep 25 - 08:35 PM (#4228280) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Donuel “Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.” Bill Wigglespear recipe |
|
08 Sep 25 - 10:20 PM (#4228281) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage Mrrzy, your recipes always sound marvelous. I shop at a Halal market that carries goat, lamb, chicken, turkey, and beef. As you understand, no pork. On a recent trip to that store the young women in line behind me had some butcher department packages of lamb and goat in their groceries. I asked them what they were making, and while one of them realized they'd picked up the goat by mistake, they weren't concerned and didn't remove it from the cart. It would be just fine in the stew-type dish they had planned (they were Afghan immigrants, hopefully still safe in our Blue City in a Red State that ICE seems to have ignored). |
|
09 Sep 25 - 02:14 AM (#4228284) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen If you want something big and spicy, try Beef Rendang There are Malaysian and also Indonesian versions. It is a fairly dry dish because it is slow cooked to a fairly dry stage, and is usually served with rice, maybe coconut rice (yum!) and some other vegetables, maybe stir fried. It's the kind of dish which is "once eaten, never forgotten". I first tried it a few decades ago at a local Malaysian restaurant and I make it now and then. The level of spiciness can be adjusted to your taste. We are lucky to have some lemongrass growing in a pot but it can be expensive to buy in the grocery shops. We also have a small kaffir lime tree. We don't get limes but we use a leaf or two in different dishes to up the subtle lime flavour. |
|
11 Sep 25 - 03:12 PM (#4228425) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MaJoC the Filk > "once eaten, never forgotten" You may wish to rephrase that, Helen. I'm a fan of peanut butter in sandwiches, to the distraction of the rest of the family. Herself once thought it wise to try making a ground-nut stew (from a Food Aid cookbook iirc: there was a picture of Terry Wogan on the front) .... Urghissimo; never, ever again. But that didn't put me off peanut butter. |
|
11 Sep 25 - 03:44 PM (#4228428) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Aah, peanut butter! Yum. I might have tried that ground-nut stew - not impressed. I listed some of my fave combinations of PB on sandwiches at the beginning of this thread: BS: Peanut butter & ?? sandwiches I tease my Hubby about putting banana on his PB on toast. He has never tried it, sadly for him. ;-) |
|
12 Sep 25 - 11:13 AM (#4228449) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle I recently got a thing for cutting up the onions. Its a bit like a food processer only you pull a string rather than turn on the electric. I think its very good. |
|
12 Sep 25 - 11:06 PM (#4228482) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen MaJoC, the recipe book which has the peanut soup recipe is also a socially aware book: People's Cook Book by Huguette Couffignal That link might not remain forever because the book is for sale, but that is the same as the book I own. There are some good recipes in it but the peanut soup doesn't get my vote. I just found other recipes in the book for Chicken with Peanuts, and Meat Barbecued with Ground Peanuts. |
|
19 Sep 25 - 07:23 PM (#4228920) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mrrzy I am big into the groung goat. Nice lean meat. |
|
19 Sep 25 - 08:08 PM (#4228923) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage I found some bison sirloin steaks in the freezer at my favorite discount grocery - meaning that they had them then and probably not likely to have them again. But it gave me a chance to try them and they're nice. Very lean, so don't overcook; it's best served medium or medium-rare. Wine. I like a dollop of red wine in my beef stew. |
|
19 Sep 25 - 10:11 PM (#4228924) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Joe Offer Attitude. It's very important to add a little attitude, when making stew. My attitude is snarky right now, so I'd better go to McDonald's and make my stew another day. |
|
19 Sep 25 - 11:51 PM (#4228926) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Does that snarkiness come from sweeping annoyingly prolific and persistent spammers out of Mudcat-land? Setting up a slow-cooking stew is fairly quick and easy and then, the stew looks after itself for a couple of hours and afterwards you get the joy of sitting down to reap the benefits. For that slow-cooking joy I can highly recommend beef & Guinness (aka stout), or beef & prunes, or beef Bourguignon (i.e. with red wine), or lamb and apricot. My other trick to make life easier is: when I fry onions, with garlic added right near the end, I always make at least double the amount, place the unused portion(s) in little plastic bags and freeze them. Then, next time I'm making something which requires fried onion and garlic I can cut the prep and pre-cooking time down a bit by just defrosting the amount I need. If I am making an Asian dish I make extra portions of rice too and freeze them in little bags. If I have leftover stew I freeze that in portion sizes as well, for those days when I really don't have the motivation and/or energy to cook. Then, I just have to boil some pasta et voilà, meal ready in minutes. Quicker than going to Macca's and more tasty, satisfying and nutritious, especially if there are yummy vegetables slow-cooked in the stew as well. [But - truth time - I have only been to Macca's five times in my whole life and I wasn't impressed. :-D ] |
|
20 Sep 25 - 04:45 AM (#4228930) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman Joe, eats at McDonalds, |
|
20 Sep 25 - 08:10 AM (#4228939) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman I have only been to a McDonalds once in my life, I was not impressed, Mind you the toilet was clean. |
|
22 Sep 25 - 11:50 AM (#4229022) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MaJoC the Filk For completeness, Helen: I've found the book Herself got that recipe from. It's The Food Aid Cookery Book, edited by Delia Smith, foreword by Terry Wogan, proceeds to Band Aid, BBC Publications 1986. Small photos of both persons on the cover. .... We wouldn't save any time freezing premade ingredients* for cooking, either. We don't have a microwave, By Order. * My mind keeps saying "components", even when I know a stew is not soldered together. |
|
22 Sep 25 - 12:02 PM (#4229024) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman Haricot Beans |
|
22 Sep 25 - 12:45 PM (#4229028) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen OMG! You're living in the dark ages MaJoC! Microwaves are great for quick and easy defrosting, re-heating, delicately finishing off the last setting stage of quiches on medium low heat before browning the cheese topping under the grill, heating my pre-made percolated coffee. My trusty m/wave is nearly 45 years old. (Now that I have said that it will probably drop off the twig.) I resisted buying one until my Mum and my sister both extolled the virtues and now it is a kitchen essential. Sine qua non. |
|
22 Sep 25 - 05:38 PM (#4229042) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen And, regarding microwave ovens, it's one of the best ways to steam broccoli and green beans IMHO. Place about half a cup of water in the lower part of the microwave-safe steamer, place broccoli florets and/or green bean pieces in the steamer basket. Cook on high for *one minute*, check then cook again on high for *up to one minute more* until the veges are still bright green and just the right level of chewiness i.e. not too hard and not too soft. Or my other two preferred methods are: fry on medium heat in olive oil for a couple of minutes - we use cast iron frypans because they work a treat for stir fries etc - then toss in about half a cup of boiling water and cover immediately with a lid. Done! Or if I am making pasta: when the pasta is almost cooked, throw the broccoli florets or bean pieces into the boiling water and cook for the last couple of minutes. The Sandman, I haven't used haricot beans but I used to buy canned flageolet beans and they had a very nice flavour. I haven't seen the canned ones for a couple of decades or so. |
|
23 Sep 25 - 02:49 AM (#4229052) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman Baked beans ,a cheap way of buying haricot beans, wash thetomatooff if necessary |
|
23 Sep 25 - 11:29 AM (#4229065) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage Helen, I steam broccoli and cauliflower in the microwave when I'm in a hurry (the dogs get vegetables in with their dry food, and they love the cruciferous veggies). But for myself I prefer them in a basket steamer in a pot over water. There is a consistency difference (though either way will turn them to mush if you leave it cooking too long.) I make a distinction between what I put in with a beef pot roast and what I put into beef stew, with the basics in both (beef, onions, carrots, potatoes). The stew can have other things like parsnip, and for a green accent, broccoli (added very near the end). |
|
24 Sep 25 - 07:40 PM (#4229175) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mrrzy Stilly, add no water to steam in microwave. The texture is perfect for me that way. The water in the veg are always enough, but do asparagus in a vertical container like a vase. |
|
24 Sep 25 - 07:44 PM (#4229176) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Mrrzy, I cook asparagus the same way I said for broccoli & green beans in the frypan: fry on medium heat in olive oil for a couple of minutes then toss in about half a cup of boiling water and cover immediately with a lid. I usually do the asparagus separately from other greens so that I can make sure it is just right. |
|
28 Sep 25 - 06:52 AM (#4229325) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mr Red Tomatoes: Toss lightly: over the shoulder. of lamb |
|
28 Sep 25 - 11:41 AM (#4229333) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mrrzy Ooh good one! I was talking how to nuke, which I do to avoid dishes sometimes... |
|
03 Oct 25 - 08:33 AM (#4229602) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: mayomick I agree with Sandman’s recommendation re rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley - the order is unimportant . I do recommend adding a sprinkle of Martin Carthy to that one but be careful not to overdo it or you could end up with a complete and utter canticle |
|
03 Oct 25 - 04:31 PM (#4229622) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman A cut that is very good for beef stew is spider, the inside of the hip bone.I went in to a butchers today and the young whipper snapper did not know what i was talkin about, still its not as much fun as going in and asking for a bit of skirt[ another cut], my dad was a butcher |
|
04 Oct 25 - 01:11 PM (#4229659) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Rapparee I've been in a stew about a bunch of things for some time now. |
|
06 Oct 25 - 04:59 AM (#4229721) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Fred May I enter this here? It's the perfect boiled egg. 1. Bring a pan of water to the boil. 2. Take an egg FROM THE FRIDGE and carefully place in the water for 6 minutes. 3. Immediately remove and placed under a running cold tap to prevent further cooking. Your egg is now ready. Enjoy! :) -F |
|
06 Oct 25 - 09:05 AM (#4229732) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: mayomick chicken stew with boiled egg reciope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUc8HjGRbQk |
|
06 Oct 25 - 12:36 PM (#4229759) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MaJoC the Filk > chicken stew with boiled egg .... while singing "Mother and Child Reunion" .... |
|
06 Oct 25 - 06:54 PM (#4229780) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle I made a rubbish stew last week. I ended up throwing some it away. I used expensive ingredients - but it really tasted awful. no guaranteesa are there? |
|
06 Oct 25 - 09:31 PM (#4229792) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen So Big Al Whittle, I'm intrigued. What was in the stew? |
|
07 Oct 25 - 01:02 AM (#4229795) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman try a bit of skirt |
|
09 Oct 25 - 03:52 PM (#4229951) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen So, Big Al Whittle, I'm still wondering about the ingredients of your expensive "rubbish stew". If I had made a rubbish stew it would include seafood - or what I call smelly things. ;-( Not my favourite food group. So, for example, even though I thankfully have never tried either eating or making bouillabaisse, I know that it is important to put the types of smelly ingredients in at the appropriate times so that each type cooks to the right consistency and flavour. So, in my rubbish stew detective evaluation of likely ingredients, this could be high on the list because smelly foods are expensive. (Apologies to lovers of those things. LOL) Another possibility could be a spicy dish e.g. Indian, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian etc where the spice mix was not quite right. If there was too much chilli for example it could ruin the dish for some people. For me if there is too much star anise it ruins it for me. I actually hid the jar of star anise from my Hubby after he started putting too much in some of the dishes he made. He never knew that. :-D To solve the problem of spice and flavour balance in Asian dishes I tend to use a jar of paste from a reliable brand as the base and then enhance some of the flavours. For example, I love Thai green curry so the paste I use after trying a few alternatives is Mae Ploy Thai green curry paste. We have lemongrass and a kaffir lime tree growing in our garden so I add some of those fresh ingredients as well. So, what was actually in your rubbish stew, Big Al? This inquiring mind wants to know and was it the actual ingredients or the balance of flavours, or the cooking method, over-cooked, under-cooked, or something else e.g. it didn't suit your taste preferences? |
|
13 Oct 25 - 06:30 AM (#4230090) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle well to be honest -its not what i put in - its what I did. I've got one of those things where you pull a string and it slices up your onions. Then I cut the potatoes up too small added meat. beefstock.oxo veg cubes. gravy granules. then I cut the carrots up too small. into a slow cooker too long. the spuds, onions, carrots disappeared, and was liquiddy. so i dumped the lot into a wok and set the controls for the heart of the sun. Tasted vile. You could cure the crime problem tomorrow with that stuff. Sentenced to eat Al's stew, til they beg for mercy. |
|
13 Oct 25 - 09:54 AM (#4230098) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MaJoC the Filk Don't be so modest, Big Al. Bake it hard and shove it inna bun, and |
|
13 Oct 25 - 10:00 AM (#4230099) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: MaJoC the Filk .... you could even call it One Of These Days. |
|
13 Oct 25 - 02:03 PM (#4230107) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Thanks for the update, Big Al. I was worried that it might have been one of my suggested stews which didn't work out well. You could put the spuds in later next time - e.g. an hour before the end - so that they don't fall apart. The onions are ok for the whole cooking time because they fall apart anyway. After the disaster struck, I would have probably added some extra liquid and turned it into a soup. You already had beef stock and some oxo veg cubes, so just some hot water would do it and let it simmer for a while. Also, even with slow cookers I prefer to get out the fry pan and fry the beef and remove it from the pan, then the onions for a few minutes, then add the carrots and fry them for about 10 minutes. It gives them all a better flavour and texture. Then I would put them in the slow cooker with the stock and oxo cube, put a bit of boiling water in the frypan and stir it around to get all the flavours and add that to the rest, and add the potatoes about an hour before the end of the cooking time. Yes, it takes a bit more time but I think it makes it all taste better. |
|
14 Oct 25 - 07:40 AM (#4230134) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle I still think my crime prevention scheme has the edge - although perhaps it a bit cruel and unusual. |
|
14 Oct 25 - 09:15 AM (#4230142) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman haricot beans, but a tin of baked beans wash the tomato off, very cheap protein |
|
14 Oct 25 - 11:34 AM (#4230149) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Well, Big Al, maybe it was not delicious but definitely nutritious so I am sure someone would have appreciated it if you gave it to them. |
|
14 Oct 25 - 12:05 PM (#4230151) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage Package it as pet food perhaps. |
|
14 Oct 25 - 12:25 PM (#4230154) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen A couple more thoughts: I think the cooking instructions which come with the slow cookers are a bit deceptive. Chop everything up, throw it all in and turn it on. It doesn't usually give the same result as the pre-frying of different ingredients in order depending on their type. My usual frying order is sear the meat, remove from pan, fry onions on medium heat for about 10 minutes, add chopped garlic for a couple of minutes then remove from the pan, throw in chunks of other firm veg e.g. carrot, sweet potato, etc and fry that for about 10 minutes. Cook in slow cooker and add softer ingredients within the last half hour to an hour, e.g. spuds and anything really soft like green beans, broccoli or frozen peas for the last 10 minutes or so. Throw in chopped fresh herbs in the last couple of minutes. We have an induction stove top with a timer on one section so I can set the timer for individual frying processes, then set the timer for the slow cooking part. My other main thought is that stews seem to need a keynote flavour e.g. red wine, or stout, or an Italian herb mix with maybe a bit of paprika, or my fave flavour mix ras el hanout, or whatever takes your fancy but stick to one flavour theme. And, I'm not sure if I said this before but about 15 or 20 minutes before the end of cooking beef or lamb stew in a pot - timing might be different in a slow cooker - I throw in about 3/4 cup of red lentils. They are fairly small with a neutral flavour, and break down and thicken the stew juices without detracting from the main flavour, and they add some healthy fibre as an added bonus. Easy peasy. No mucking around with a wok on a Highway to Hell setting. |
|
14 Oct 25 - 03:48 PM (#4230159) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman another way to thicken a stew is to grate potato. |
|
15 Oct 25 - 12:27 AM (#4230175) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Personally, I don't like either the consistency or the flavour when using finely chopped potato to soak up the stew juices. It seems to steal the other flavours out of the stew, IMHO. I prefer to make mashed potato with butter and place the serving of stew on that. |
|
15 Oct 25 - 01:51 AM (#4230176) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman All a matter of taste. Corn flour is another alternative |
|
15 Oct 25 - 03:45 PM (#4230213) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman Haricot beans take a very long time in a slow cooker,best to boil first then put in slow cooker Boil for 10-15 minutes then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until tender, which may take 45 minutes to 3 hours, |
|
16 Oct 25 - 02:51 AM (#4230222) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman fry the meat after covering in flour then put in slow cooker |
|
16 Oct 25 - 04:53 PM (#4230243) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen BTW, I use a large, heavy enamelled cast iron pot with a lid to make my stews on the stove top. I can fry each ingredient as I need to, and then put it all back in the same pot to slow cook the stew. Handy. Less washing up, too. Also, for beef stews, depending on the flavours, I sometimes splash a tablespoon or two of yummy pomegranate molasses over it - not too sweet, not too tangy, but a lovely addition to some stews. I also splash a bit inside the pies I make with leftover beef stew. It tastes a bit similar to balsamic vinegar. Worcestershire sauce is a good addition to some stews. Have we mentioned Spaghetti Bolognese, i.e. beef with tomatoes, tomato paste and served with pasta? Note: I usually add some veges as well. Which reminds me that the leftovers of some of the stews can be made into lasagne, or pastitsio with béchamel sauce on top. |
|
16 Oct 25 - 06:50 PM (#4230247) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage In cooler months I make a chicken stew that is basically the filling for chicken pot pies. Chicken diced in big pieces, onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, ground black pepper, and then add homemade chicken stock. Once it is near finished add frozen green peas, and thicken it with water and flour (I am able to accomplish the same thing now with a King Arthur brand Measure for Measure gluten free flour). It's a lot of work to make a crust and bake the chicken filling in it to make pot pies, so I used a shortcut (back when the kids were little and thought the plain stew wasn't interesting) of making pie crust and cutting out shapes with cookie cutters, holiday shapes and others. Bake those and serve them on a plate next to a large bowl of the stew. The first time I did this, they wanted to just eat the crust, but I pointed out they had to crumble them on bowls of the stew, and they were ok with that. |
|
16 Oct 25 - 08:04 PM (#4230248) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen The chicken stew sounds good. The paprika chicken recipe I use would probably be good in a pie but there are rarely any leftover. I added a link on 05 Sep 25 - 03:04 PM to a recipe which is almost the same as the one I make. I cheat with the pie pastry. I buy frozen puff pastry, but I don't know if there are gluten free varieties available. |
|
16 Oct 25 - 08:20 PM (#4230249) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage In ~ 15 months since I shifted to gluten free I've explored a number of the non-wheat flours, but I haven't tried to make pie crust with any of them. When I make this meal these days I don't bother to try for a crust topping, I just eat the stew itself. |
|
17 Oct 25 - 01:17 AM (#4230252) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: The Sandman I only eat free range chicken |
|
17 Oct 25 - 03:02 PM (#4230281) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Penny S. Tha best Irish stew I made was when Sainsburys had mutton and goat on offer. I didn't try the goat, and the two then vanished and have not been seen again. But the mutton gave a real depth to the flavour compared with lamb. I made the simple version, onion, potato, meat and seasoning, not the extended can't tell it from any other stew that lurks in ready meals and umpteen recipes online. I wanted to try mutton in Lancashire hotpot too, but no more mutton on sale. |
|
18 Oct 25 - 01:08 PM (#4230314) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen I made Chicken Cacciatore last night. I didn't realise we had run out of tomato paste and I forgot to put olives in it at the end, but it tasted good and there is enough left for tonight. |
|
19 Oct 25 - 12:36 PM (#4230344) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle does anyone do fish stews? |
|
20 Oct 25 - 06:04 PM (#4230388) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Big Al, in the light of my previous comments about eating "smelly things" I think it is safe to assume you won't take my advice about making stews with fish. The only one I know about - but haven't eaten, thankfully LOL - is Bouillabaisse. |
|
20 Oct 25 - 11:52 PM (#4230393) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage I have made a fish stew that came out very well. Many years ago a friend gave me a cookbook of soups and stews, and I made the Whiting Stew that was simple but very good, just fish and broth with vegetables. I'll pull out the book and post the recipe tomorrow. |
|
21 Oct 25 - 06:57 AM (#4230412) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Big Al Whittle Thank you Helen and SRS. |
|
26 Oct 25 - 05:47 PM (#4230686) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage How about what you put under your stew? I'm looking into buying a portable hotplate to use during power outages when I have access to a powerline run from the next door neighbor's generator behind their home. It seems the higher-priced induction burners are less likely to overheat the base of the unit, and appear to be stable. Duxtop is a brand I'm seeing. Least expensive are the coil burners with a knob, Black and Decker, etc. There are plenty of other appliances in the kitchen to plug into the power strip such as the electric kettle or the microwave. But to actually cook something when I can't use the regular electric stovetop, that's what I'm investigating. |
|
26 Oct 25 - 06:04 PM (#4230688) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen We have an induction cooktop and it works really well. I used to have a gas cooktop and it worked well but I wouldn't go back to it now that I have the induction. One of its features is a timer on one of the cooking plates. That's great for slo- cooking stews etc. Hubby has a portable stove which connects to a gas bottle. That worked well but we haven't been camping for decades so it has been stored in the garage ever since. It looks like this one: Primus Profile 2-Burner Stove |
|
26 Oct 25 - 06:53 PM (#4230689) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Stilly River Sage Helen, good to know! My regular electric stove has the coils and I'm not fond of it, but it works for now. I have a butane two-burner stove for camping (in the garage I have an ancient Coleman stove that burns white gas). The butane stove was bought in 2021 after the long freeze and power outage; since then the neighbors (who always buy excellent products) realized there was a bank on the back of their powerful generator that wasn't being used, so since then we run a line between our houses, and I got a 100' 12 gauge cord to use (my last cord was 16 gauge and not as robust for the job). If they aren't home, I'm on my own, but if they are, I can use an electric burner to cook. I think if I get a portable one to work with it won't be long before I convince myself to swap out the stove for something like this. |
|
26 Oct 25 - 07:07 PM (#4230691) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Helen Typo: slo- cooking. I wasn't trying to be funny. LOL I did live in a rental place once with an electric cooktop with coils. I was used to gas stoves so it was very annoying. The house before this one had gas but I bought an induction cooktop for this house and never looked back. There are also small portable induction cooktops available. |
|
28 Oct 25 - 05:33 PM (#4230760) Subject: RE: BS: Things to put in a stew From: Mrrzy Big into the ground goat my grocery store has taken to carrying. Tonight's stew is goat with onion and cabbage, with a little tomato paste. Spices/herbs are marjoram, oregano, hot paprika, and a Berber spice mix. Chicken broth. Olive oil. Mmmm. |