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rethinking stews

by Dana Dugan

As the daily temperatures decline and the daylight fades early, comfort food takes precedence at the dinner table. Warm, toasty and aromatic one-pot cooking is simple, nourishing and nurturing.

Stewing, crock-pot and clay-pot cooking use a long, slow process that imbues richness and tenderness to meat and a complexity to vegetables.

Whether served as the main entrée in front of a warm fire or as one of several courses at a more formal dinner, stews come in many styles: from the winter hot pot beef stews and Hungarian Gúlyas (goulash) to Mediterranean lamb, Brazilian feijoada or a Cajun jambalaya.

Rethinking stews means abandoning the idea of glutinous over-cooked mush.

It’s a comforting dish if made right,” said Rebecca Austin of South City Sensations in Bellevue. “The seasoning makes it, and it shouldn’t be too thick. Avoid over flouring the meat, which can be make it pasty.”

“The key ingredients for any beef stew are the red wine and cognac,” Austin added. “The French version of Beef Bourguignon calls for a bottle of red wine and a full cup of cognac. It adds considerably to the comfort level.”

As with any use of wine, be sure it’s drinkable Burgundy. If you won’t drink it alone, don’t use it in your cooking. The meat itself should be small squares cut from either beef shoulder or round. With lamb use the shoulder or rump; with pork use the shoulder.

Stewing meat is simple really, but making stews can be either as complex or as easy as the cook desires.
What we do is something similar, but it’s not really stewing. Instead we do braising to brown the meat first, like for an osso buco, which uses the veal shank,” said Steve Ludwig, chef-owner at the Ketchum restaurant Place.

“You use good ingredients, good stock and spices, and cook for approximately four and a half hours at a low temperature, you end up with a good meal.”
Stew is not limited to red meat as its protein source.

Paella is a good example of a one-pot seafood dish. There are many regional versions of the dish, but it’s considered Spain’s national dish.

Paella is always cooked in a wide, short pan with 4- to 5-inch sides; the more surface the better. Real Spanish paella is made over a wood fire in a proper pan, but for our area a stovetop is just fine.

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Mike Diem at East Avenue Bistro in Ketchum occasionally makes paella as a special. He uses only fresh, natural ingredients. First, he sautés mussels, clams and prawns—all in their shells—along with New Bedford sea scallops, halibut, chicken and spicy chicken sausage.

Flavorful basmati rice is sautéed with garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, carrots, celery, shallots and saffron threads before adding the appropriate amount of water. Before it returns to a boil, he throws in the seafood and poultry and covers, cooking on low until the rice is done and the sauce is still saucy. Diem adds fresh basil and thyme toward the end of the cooking process. The dish can be garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Even in the winter this dish is beyond warming and delicious.

“It covers all your food groups in one dish,” Diem said.

A recipe Austin suggested is a Persian stew called Khoresht Ghemeh, made with lamb:

Khoresht Ghemeh

½ stick unsalted butter
1 lb. boneless lamb shoulder,
cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper,
and cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of freshly grated
nutmeg and turmeric
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ½ cups water
1/2-cup yellow split peas
1 large Idaho potato
2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Cook meat, onion, salt and spices uncovered in sizzling butter, stirring often, about 10 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Add lime juice and water; simmer covered 30 minutes.

Add split peas and simmer, covered until they collapse and meat is tender, about 40-45 minutes. Cover to keep warm.

Peel potato, cut into small, diced cubes. Heat ½ inch oil in a heavy skillet, fry potato on high but not smoking. Stir until crisp.

After draining the potato, top the individual bowls of stew with portions. Pair it with rice, a green salad and crusty bread in lovely bowls that work with the yellow color of the stew. It’s an elegant, nourishing and aromatic meal. This recipe makes enough for four to six people.