Stews, those aromatic long-simmered one-pot meals of meat and vegetables, represent the best of home cooking. They`re satisfying and comforting, hearty without being heavy and rich. Stews are do-ahead preparations; reheating actually enhances their melded flavors. As a result, most stews freeze extremely well.
It`s easy to cook a luscious stew that uses little fat and allows for less meat and more vegetables per serving without anyone detecting this new thrust.
Stews are not intended for people who don`t like to cook. Each preparatory step is easy enough but requires a certain focus from the cook, not to be executed too quickly and carelessly. That`s the magic of a stew; the ingredients go into the casserole in a prescribed order and emerge a harmonious, delicious meal.
Weekends are excellent times for putting stews together; once assembled and simmering in the oven, they take little attention from the cook.
The stews that follow are varied enough so that you may be tempted to try them all. The farmhouse stew of turkey, cabbage and potatoes cooks in broth intensely flavored with well-smoked bacon and Hungarian sweet paprika. The harvest vegetable stew with white beans is naturally sweetened by the mix of squash with the vegetables, completely satisfying without any meat. The spring lamb stew with leeks, vegetables and port wine is seasoned with cumin and cayenne and garnished with minced cilantro (fresh coriander).
These stews require just good quality bread to sop up the juices and a side of green salad or marinated cucumbers, stewed fruit or warmed applesauce. Sometimes just a condiment suffices, a chutney, corn or cabbage relish. Red wine, especially a Cabernet Sauvignon, complements each of these stews, making them elegant fare. Chilled beer and sparkling cider are less costly beverages that also work well with these recipes. A plate of brownies or lemon bars and a bowl of chilled grapes are the perfect dessert.
Consider serving these stews when you`re faced with serving a crowd buffet-style. Stews are easily doubled (in separate casseroles) and manageable with just a fork. Set the buffet table with hurricane candles, a rustic bowl filled with apples and pears, checkered tablecloth, bright napkins and large, colorful buffet plates (to accommodate the stew, simple side dish and bread)
and all-purpose wine glasses for wine, beer or sparkling cider.
Slightly sweet and sour, this is a hearty, peasant mix with a deliciously light touch. It`s always surprising how cabbage cooks to such sweetness and the turkey is moist and tender, seeming more like veal. If you prefer, 8 ounces smoked sausage (cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices) can be substituted for the bacon (which should be deeply smoked for the best flavor). Warm applesauce or a Waldorf salad of tart apples, walnuts and currants, rye rolls with caraway seeds and chocolate brownies round out this meal perfectly.
FARMHOUSE STEW OF TURKEY,
CABBAGE AND POTATOES
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Meat:
4 ounces thick-sliced applewood smoked bacon (about 5 slices), cut into small dice
2-3 tablespoons safflower oil
1/2 turkey breast, boned, skinned, well trimmed, about 1 3/4 pounds, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetables:
1 tablespoon safflower oil
3 medium onions, about 12 ounces total, cut into quarters
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium head cabbage, about 2 1/4 pounds, cored, each half cut into eighths
10 small red potatoes, about 10 ounces, scrubbed, cut in half
3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
Minced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
1. Put rack in center of oven; heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready heavy 6-quart casserole or Dutch oven with lid.
2. For meat, brown bacon over high heat in casserole, about 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Set aside. Spill off fat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in casserole over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat turkey dry with paper towels. Put turkey, flour, salt and pepper in large plastic food bag. Shake to coat meat. When oil is hot, brown meat in single layer without crowding, in batches as necessary, about 3 minutes per batch, stirring often. Set aside as browned. Add oil as necessary.
3. For vegetables, heat oil in casserole. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add sugar and cook until onions are coated and lightly browned, about 4 more minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and paprika. Stir well and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and well blended. Add turkey, bacon and remaining ingredients except salt and garnish. Bring to a boil. Stir well. Press vegetables into liquid. It`s okay if liquid does not cover vegetables.
4. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Stir well. Bake, uncovered, to deepen flavor, 15 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot. Garnish with chives, if desired.
Note: Stew can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Let come to room temperature before reheating. Reheat stew gently, covered, in 350-degree oven or in microwave oven. Add water for desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.
This is a light lamb stew due in part to the port wine, carrots and parsnips, all sweet and mild ingredients. The cumin adds an interesting tang and the cilantro a fresh finish. Serve with a red cabbage slaw or mixed green salad, tossed with a mild horseradish-mustard dressing and crusty French or Italian bread. Plan lemon bars for dessert.
SPRING LAMB STEW WITH LEEKS, VEGETABLES AND PORT WINE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Lamb:
2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 pounds lamb from leg, cut into 1-inch cubes, trimmed of all visible fat
1 teaspooon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetables:
1 tablespoon light olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 medium leeks, about 1 pound total, trimmed of tough green parts, split, washed, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch slices
7 slender carrots, about 10 ounces total, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
3 medium parsnips, about 8 ounces total, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
3 large russet potatoes, about 18 ounces total, scrubbed, split lengthwise, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 cup ruby red port wine
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
1. Put rack in center of oven; heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready heavy 5-quart casserole with lid.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in casserole over medium-high heat until hot. Pat lamb dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly brown meat, in single layer, in two batches, about 3 minutes per batch, stirring often. Set both batches aside. Heat remaining oil before browning second batch.
3. For vegetables, heat oil in casserole. Add garlic, leeks and mushrooms. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add reserved lamb with juices, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, beef broth, port wine, water, cumin and cayenne pepper. Mix well to combine. Bring to a boil. Once stew is boiling, use back of wooden spoon to press vegetables and meat into liquid. It`s okay if liquid does not cover ingredients.
4. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir gently and press vegetables and meat back into liquid. Bake, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro.
Note: Stew can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Thaw before cooking. Reheat stew gently, covered, in 350-degree oven or in microwave oven, adding water as needed for desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.
Here, vegetables star in a strictly vegetarian stew with a natural sweetness. This stew thickens when made ahead and reheated. Just add enough water as needed for a flowing sauce and gently combine. Add warm grainy wheat bread, a tossed green salad and brownies for a wonderful meal. This stew would also be a great side vegetable dish with a baked ham, serving about 12.
HARVEST VEGETABLE STEW
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash, about 2 1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes, about 5 1/2 cups, see note
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 medium sweet potato, about 8 ounces, peeled, split lengthwise, cut into 3/4- inch slices
8 small red potatoes, about 10 ounces total, scrubbed, split
1 pint pearl onions, peeled (best to blanch them stovetop or in microwave oven to loosen skins)
1 medium cauliflower, about 2 pounds, separated into 1-inch florets
1 can (24 ounces) spicy tomato juice (such as V-8 juice)
1 1/4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 each, cut into 1/3-inch dice: red and green bell pepper
1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern white beans, rinsed, drained
8 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
1. Put rack in center of oven; heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready 6-quart casserole with lid.
2. Heat oil in casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic, squash and thyme. Cook until heated through and fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring very often to avoid sticking or burning. Add remaining ingredients except white beans, diced peppers and green onions. Heat to a boil. Stir gently and press vegetables into liquid. It`s okay if liquid does not cover vegetables.
3. Bake, covered, until vegetables are almost tender, about 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once midway and pressing vegetables back into liquid. Do not overcook vegetables as they may become mushy when reheated. Add white beans and diced peppers. Mix to combine. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are just tender but still intact and beans and peppers heated through, about 10 more minutes. Adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaves. Serve hot. Garnish with green onions. Pass red pepper flakes in small dish.
Note: Other hard squashes can be substituted for the butternut squash. In the fall, pumpkin adds great flavor. Stew can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days and frozen for 3 months. Let come to room temperature before reheating. Reheat gently, covered, in 350-degree oven or in microwave oven, adding water for desired consistency of sauce. Adjust seasoning.
