making stew

r.mac_2

right - it's very autumnal outside and I want to make some stew for sunday dinner.

I have some meat (beef) and I plan to dust it in plain flour, saute quickly and add to a caserole dish with some onions and carrots and some stock and maybe some red wine, before shoving it in the oven.

When do I add the gravy granules???? At the begining or end??????

stellagypsy

At the end. The flour will thicken it to some extent, just add gravy granules to achieve teh desired thickness before serving.

Have you got a slow cooker? There's nothing nicer than slow cooker stew.

HTH, Stella xx

billieboy_2

r.mac wrote:

right - it's very autumnal outside and I want to make some stew for sunday dinner.

I have some meat (beef) and I plan to dust it in plain flour, saute quickly and add to a caserole dish with some onions and carrots and some stock and maybe some red wine, before shoving it in the oven.

When do I add the gravy granules???? At the begining or end??????

Do you actually need gravy granules? Sounds yummy already with the stock and red wine. If it needs thickening, why not use some cornflour mixed with a little water and stirred in at the end?

Curry_Queen

If you're rolling your beef in flour before browning it then you shouldn't need to add any thickeners at the end, as the flour from the beef will do the job for you!

Sounds yum!

competitionscafe

I agree with the last 2 posts - you will get all the flavour from the beef, red wine etc and the thickness from the flour, so probably don't need the granules.
Also nice is a bouqet garni (tied parcel of herbs or tea bag of dried ones) or if you don't have that a couple of bay leaves, then fish them out at the end - not essential, just adds a bit of flavour.

I also like to add some stoned black olives just before it's ready (but that's just a personal taste thing - not everybody likes olives!)

(For those who do, the nicest ones I have had are from Olives et Al: )
http://www.olivesetal.co.uk/

Smiley_Mum

Throw some herbs into the flour that you dust the meat with for flavour too. I usually put some crushed rosemary in, or thyme etc. Down to personal preference though. I find the flour thickens up the gravy and I don't need gravy granules etc.

Lucie_2

I always check a stew/casserole with about half an hour to go & if it needs thickening I just leave the lid off the pot. That way the liquid evaporates & your sauce reduces. Keep an eye on it though to check it doesn't go too dry.
A quick squirt of tomato puree is a good thickener too.
Bay leaves, tobasco or worcester sauce all add flavour.

Smiley_Mum

I remember reading this from an old ancient cookery book my grandmother had -

"a stew boiled is a stew spoiled".

Jay-Jay_4

What's the difference between a stew and a casserole?

squeaky

I think a stew is done on the stove and a casserole is done in the oven, but I'm not going to tell you that because I've been wrong far too often already this weekend :-)

ben500

Removing the lid and reducing the stock is the most favourable option, if you must thicken by any other method I would suggest some finely grated potato added to the stew will thicken it in minutes and increase the flavour at the same time.