Simple Stew
Dec 09, 2008 in Uncategorized
Take:
- A large pot with a lid which can go in the oven (Cast Iron if you have it, Ceramic if not)
- 500g of lamb or pork for slow cooking (it normally says this on the label in the supermarket now, or if you’re posh enough to buy from a butcher, ask him/her for the best cut for making stew).
- 5 carrots
- 2 parsnips
- 1 swede (medium or large)
- 1 bouquet garni
- 4 small onions
- a small pinch of basil
- 3 large or 6 small potatoes (no place for medium sized potatoes here!)
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
- Vegetable stock powder
- Turn the oven on to 150°C
- Peel veg, except potato and cut all veg including potato into ~ 1inch chunks (2.5cm for those of us working in the scientific metric world) - precision is not important
- Quarter the onions
- Heat oil in pot on hob
- Add onions and meat (which should also be in ~1 inch chunks
- Brown the meat - don’t let the onions burn, keep stirring.
- Add flour to soak up fat/oil
- Now add all vegetables and potatoes, pinch of basil, bouquet garni, salt, pepper to the pot
- Mix up vegetable stock according to instructions, you should cover the top of the ingredients already in the pot with a few millimetres (no more than 5!) of liquid
- Bring to the boil on the hob
- Transfer to the oven for at least 4 hours (whilst you do some more revision!). You should stir it at least once, preferably twice during this period, and that doesn’t mean to stirs with the spoon just before serving!
- Serve when bored of revision, with or without salad.
Enjoy.
