Summer has finally bid us farewell for this year. The crisp fall air is settling in and with that the desire for comfort foods has arrived. There is nothing more satisfying than a warm bowl of soup or stew when the temperatures drop.
Stews can be found on the menu of nations all across the world, yet they come with a different name. Let's take a look at these dishes and what ingredients they include.
Stew: a mixture of meats and vegetables cooked by "stewing".
Ratatouille: a Provencal vegetable stew including eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, basil and other herbs.
Goulash: a Hungarian stew including paprika, beef, pork or lamb with vegetables and spices.
Ragu: an Italian meat based sauce including tomatoes, celery, onions, carrots and ground meat. Stock and Italian herbs added for a rich flavoring.
Chili con Carne: a Spanish stew including peppers, onions, and garlic. Beef or pork, beans and cumin complete this 'stew".
Curry:a generic term to describe a South Asian form of cooking. Curry is not actually a spice but a term to mean "sauce" or "gravy". Curry dishes usually include a limitless mixture of meats and vegetable combinations.
Cassoulet: another French stew including white beans flavored with pork, goose or duck and topped with fried bread crumbs. A Cassoulet is also the name of the pot in which these dishes are cooked.
Bouillabaisse: yet another French dish combining seafood and herbs, including dried orange rind.
Tagine: a Moroccan stew including lamb or chicken and vegetables. Spices, olives, nuts and dried fruit also accompany this dish. Tagine is also the name of the pot in which this dish is cooked.
What makes stews of all varieties so satisfying is their thickness, stick-to-your-ribs quality. Here are a few tips to guarantee a delicious meal that will please your entire family.
1. Use inexpensive cuts of meat, such as chuck roast, when slow cooking. The slow stewing process turns these cuts of meat into tender and tasty morsels. Lean and expensive cuts of meat will toughen during the stewing process.
2. To avoid a watery stew, try the following cooking methods:
*Remove all excess external moisture from your meat by drying it off with a paper towel.
Now dredge your meat in flour and brown in oil as the first step in cooking your stews.* Begin your stew with a roux. A roux is a mixture of flour and butter. In your pot, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add a quarter of a cup of flour to the melted butter and whisk together, browning the flour just slightly. Following the next steps as listed in your recipe.
* Add potatoes, pasta or rice to your stew, as these ingredients will release starch into your stew and serve as a thickening agent.
3. To add a fifth taste sensation known as umami, add a wedge of Parmesan cheese, including the rind, into your stew. The flavor is rich and delicious.
Here is a tasty Italian Sausage and Pepper Stew you may enjoy adding to your fall menu.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 green bell peppers (about 1-1/2 pounds total), seeded and cut into strips
1/2 pound red onions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-1/4 pounds hot Italian sausages
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1-1/2 cups water
1 bouquet garni, consisting of 5 sprigs each fresh basil and mint, tied with kitchen twine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a stove-top casserole or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic until the onions are translucent and the peppers slightly limp, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn, about 5 minutes. Add the sausages, tomatoes, water, and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high until the mixture starts boiling, about 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sausages are firm, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Discard the bouquet garni. Slice the sausages or leave whole and serve
Recipes from Real Stew by Clifford A. Wright through permission of Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.
