Just the weather for stew

jenie_2

Just a little thing ! don't add the parsnips until the last half hour of cooking or they will just about disintegrate. I use one beef oxo and one chicken oxo, it makes a lovely flavour, also a couple of sticks of celery chopped up adds lots of flavour and smells lovely whilst cooking.

Verianna

I love stew it is so versatile! I literally chuck whatever is lurking in the bottom of the fridge in and hope for the best lol.

If I've been to the shops before hand, half hour before the end of cooking I will throw a punnet of baby potatoes in as well.

YUM!

maman

juliapenguin wrote: »

Regarding starting your own cookery book... because I end up printing out quite a few things off the internet (and the OS board in particular, of course) I use the cheap A4 display books you can get at discount stationers. I also can put in handwritten recipes and things cut out of magazines. I've got four at the moment and am planning to sort them out into different food types (like 'the red one for spicy main courses', 'the blue one for WeightWatchers recipes' etc) when I've got time.... If they are the sort that stay open at the right page (two are, two aren't) then they don't even get dirty while you're cooking!

I do something very similar. I use those plastic pockets in a ring binder and have it divided into red meat, chicken, pork, pasta, fish, veg etc I keep a box in the kitchen for cut-outs, print-outs etc and only transfer to file when I'm sure we really like it. So my file is a tried and tested one.

arkonite_babe

maman wrote: »

LOL, whatever our preference, although the little whiskered things wouldn't be my choice although very OS!

I have stew cooking at the moment although we'll eat it tomorrow-tastier and I can skim off any fat.

I think mine is an old Welsh recipe, definitely copied from my mother. Just bung in a small piece of shin of beef, veg (I use potato, onion, carrot and parsnip although mam used swede too but I don't like it). Season and add a beef stock cube. Boil up then simmer for hours. It's a thin broth/stew but you can serve with suet dumplings (or doughboys I was brought up to call them) but it's not so healthy that way.

ooops just noticed my typo, that's what happens when you try to do too many things in the morning before work

piggeh

With it getting colder, I feel like a nice stew, although I've never made one before so a bit stuck on where to begin! I saw the following recipe:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/jools-s-favourite-beef-stew

Which seems ok, except:

a)It has butternut squash in - I think it's quite expensive from what I recall, so is there a good replacement or maybe just upping the other contents (ie an extra parsnip etc)
b)half a pint of stock - how do you make half a pint of stock? Obviously I have stock cubes but thats about as much as a know.

Also how long does it normally keep, and can you freeze it? And any alternative recipes welcome Thanks

Pink.

Hi piggeh,

The beauty of stew is that you don't need to stick rigidly to a recipe. You can easily leave out the butternut squash and more parsnip (or other veg) if you want to. For the stock, cubes will be fine or you can make your own from simmering meat or chicken bones and/or vegetables in water.

These threads may help with making stock:

Making stock from beef bones

How do i make my own chicken stock?

vegetable stock

Lamb stock

If it's chilled soon after cooking stew will keep well in the fridge for two or three days and it also freezes well. There's an earlier thread on making stew that should help so I'll add your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

piggeh

thanks PW - I think I'll stick with the cubes this time as I'm still learning (and by the sounds of it would need to prepare stock another time!). I dont really cook whole chickens or have beef bones etc as I normally cook for one (always trying to find recipes that last 2 or 3 days as makes things much easier!) so will have to figure out a way to use up a whole chicken without it going bad at all.

phunkles

Mmmmm Scouse is the bestest hot meal going served with pickled beetroot or in my case pickled onions and nice fresh crusty yummy bread

Olliebeak

phunkles wrote: »

Mmmmm Scouse is the bestest hot meal going served with pickled beetroot or in my case pickled onions and nice fresh crusty yummy bread

With you all the way, phunkles! Apart from the 'pickled' beetroot, I'm afraid. My digestive system won't take the pickled stuff these days, so it has to be boiled beetroot for me (the stuff that you get in the shrink-wrapped packs). My OH will only have pickled red cabbage with his though and my own kids love tomato sauce with it.

Isn't it funny though, no matter how many Liverpool women you ask, you'll always get a different recipe for Scouse !

Some swear by adding a piece of Breast of Lamb to the recipe, some only use Lamb (or Mutton) - personally I use 'shin beef' in mine. My own particular variation uses 'soup and broth mix' pre-soaked overnight AND I add dumplings an hour before serving .

phunkles

Tomato Sauce is good on it too
Lol i think everyone has their own recipe for Scouse - the original one had lamb and beef in it
Mine - Beef, potatoes, carrots and onion , water then add an oxo

Best the day after its made reheated yum yum
But i cant eat Blind Scouse I just done like it