What do you like to put in your stew?

Question

I'm cooking one for tea tonight and was just curious as to what you guys like to put in yours. My family like beef, leeks, onions, carrots and potaotoes.

Answer 1

In King Arthurs day we made stone stew. Here is how it was invented.

I was starving and I knocked on the door of a noble's house kitchen.

The cook answered and said "go away, no beggars here, you're not getting any food from me" and I asked her for a pot of water so I could make some stone stew. She was curious and asked "what is stone stew?"

I told her it was a rare but magical delicacy from Camelot, and I would be very happy to share it with her.

She invited me into the kitchen and I put some water on to boil, and added two large stones, which I had washed.

The cook asked me when it would be ready.. and I told her that it would take an hour, but it would help it to cook with a small pinch of salt.

"A pinch of salt won't hurt, I daresay we can spare you that."

So we added the salt.

The cook asked "how did you come by this recipe?" and I replied that my Mother taught me, although I wouldn't be able to make it in quite the same way as the recipe dictates.

"Why not?" asked the cook, and I said "well normally the ingredients also include a couple of carrots, but I can manage without"

"Carrots... well we've plenty of those, it won't break us to poverty if we put a couple into the stone stew, just to make the taste more authentic"... so she put some carrots into the pot.

"Authentic?" I responded, "well, yes, it will be very nearly authentic, but not quite"

"Not quite? If you're going to make me stone stew, you do it properly in MY kitchen... "

"Well without the cabbage, turnips and leeks it can't be exact..."

"I see well we'd better put some of them in as well, any food prepared in my kitchen has to be just right, whether it's a boar roast or a simple stone stew" insisted the cook.

I tasted the stone stew, and pulled a face. "What's the matter?" inquired the cook. "There's still something missing... now what else did my Mother include?"

"Pepper? Herbs?" asked the cook

"Yes, those, but there's something else... hmm I can't remember"

"Well when I make a stew for my Baron, I always include a shank of lamb"

"That's it!" I exclaimed, "That's the missing ingredient!"

So the cook added some herbs, pepper and a lamb shank.

After an hour, the stew was ready and I served up a portion each.

The cook tasted it, and finished the plate.

"That was so delicious! And to think you made it with only a stone!"

Answer 2

I would typically do a stew like that but add a tin of chopped tomatos to it, and some fresh coriander!

Other things to try:-
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I have also found Cumin in small amounts (half tea-spoon maybe) if boiled for long enough will compliment the beef's flavour. Stock cubes are a must and to REALLY add to the experience, hold some of the onion back for the last ten minutes of the simmer, it will add to the aroma of the dish - and you will have some onion that had a little more testure that the rest making it more interesting to eat. Season with freshly ground Black Pepper if it takes your fancy.

Ooh and I sometimes do the same, but with Sausages instead of the beef in a slow cooker (just leave it all stewing in the slow cooker for 4 hours) - the texture of the sausage changes alot though.

Answer 3

You couls add beef to this!!
Root hot pot with herby dumplings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Hot Pot:
300g carrots
400g parsnips
300g Jerusalem artichokes
1/2 a small swede
300g potatoes
1 onion
1/2 a head of green cabbage
1.5 litres vegetable stock
2 tsp clear honey
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp olive oil

Dumplings:
3 shallots
20g vegetable suet
200g self-raising flour
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, thyme)
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
pinch of nutmeg
butter for frying
Instructions
1. Peel and chop the carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede and artichokes into chunks finely chop the onion and garlic. Roughly slice the cabbage. Fry the coriander and cumin seeds, garlic and onion in the oil until soft. Add 1 litre of the stock, the honey and the root vegetables and simmer until tender.

2. For the dumplings, fry the shallots in butter until soft. Mix the suet, flour seasoning, herbs, Parmesan and nutmeg and season. Add the shallots then add enough water to make dough. Shape into small dumplings and poach in the remaining stock for about 10 minutes.

3. Stir the cabbage into the hotpot and simmer for 3 minutes.

Serve with the dumplings.

Answer 4

Depends on what I find and like the look of, but beef, lamb or sausages will always make a good stew base.

Other stuff to try chucking in to taste...

- Tomatoes
- Stout
- Sherry
- Worcester Sauce
- Baby onions
- Smoked chilli peppers (remove before serving)
- Cinnamon sticks (remove before serving)

Answer 5

I love Irish stew, it's my favourite dinner. I put carrots, onion, diced lamb, potatoes and half a beef stock cube. YUMMY! I think I might cook some tomorrow seeing as the cold weather is coming in. Good luck with dinner ('',)

Answer 6

this is what goes in mine
beef cubed, pearl barley, peppers, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, celery, onions (red), potatoes, leeks, tin tomatoes, parsely, and bisto powder now thats a combination. oh and don't forget the dumplings 20 mins before the end, plus i boil mine for tree hours on the stove that way the meat just crumbles in your mouth no chewy peices

Answer 7

Beef, onions, carrots, a bottle of guiness and about 4 or 5 beef oxos - lovely rich warming dinner mmm...mashed potatoes and green beans to got with it

Answer 8

Beef,celery,carrots,onions,peas,and potatoes.

Answer 9

I put in beef, onion, carrot, swede, leeks, parsnips and potatoes ... and then serve with yummy dumplings.

Answer 10

a real stew( im irish) has mince beef gravy onions carrots and potatoes all cooked together in one pot for hours on a slow cook!!