Ways to make stew really tasty

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Just that really
I usually brown onions and meat, deglaze with plenty of red wine add stock pots and a couple of bay leaves
Pretty much same every time but sometimes it's just a bit bland. Any top tips please?

Spoon of marmite ?
Mushrooms ?
Garlic ?
Pepper?

Have some distinct pops of flavour in there, maybe fry up some chorizo and chuck that in? Or mix up the veg a bit if you always use the same veg?

Or change your herbs/spices?

I little bit of black pudding crumbled up and given time to melt down into the sauce when it's a beef stew.

Oh, and mushrooms.

Oh yes I add garlic forgot that

Others are good shout

It's weird how sometimes it's lovely and rich other times not

I'd add more veg e.g. fry off onions, carrots, celery and add things like mushrooms, parsnips, leeks to get more flavour in.

Plus more herbs.

Plus salt and pepper.

Plus lots of slow cooking.

Barley adds a nice texture too.

Maybe this is my Yorkshire roots but I add in a tin on mushy peas, SO GOOD!

Salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, marmite

A splash of vinegar (red or white wine) at the end makes a massive difference in terms of elevating all the other flavours

Pinch of sugar
Tiny amount.of balsamic vinegar
Rosemary and thyme

Worcester sauce.
Sprigs of Thyme.

Bit of miso paste?

A good spoonful of mustard along with a good squeeze of tomato puree. I also add a shake of garam masala to the flour which is used to coat the meat.

spoonful of marmite

If it's lamb then a few very finely chopped anchovies. I promise, it's a revelation-and not remotely fishy.

Ooh I have never eaten black pudding although DH and DS love it. I’m going to try that in a stew, sounds great. Thank you.

Use good old fashioned lard instead of oil.

I like to add a bit of mushroom ketchup. It's an easy way to create a bit of depth to the flavour.

For a beef stew, you could add a little cinnamon. It gives warmth and depth.

A big squirt of tomato puree and a squeeze of lemon juice near the end. I got quite good at this while weaning DS2 and trying to cook without salt!

Ooo, a good stew is hard to beat on cold, damp days. Often down to the meat, you need some marbling for flavour.

I'm a big fan of carrots and celery and bacon if there's some in the fridge. If you have homemade stock that ups the umami as does dried or fresh mushrooms, marmite, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. I will always chuck in an aggressive pinch of dried thyme too.

I'm old school so I save beef dripping from roasts and Will fry off meat in that. Sounds disgusting but it's another layer of flavouring.

Home cooking, especially when compared to ready meals and restaurants, requires more salt and pepper than you think. And results are variable on the day, I think lots of braised dishes benefit from a day of maturing!

And if you use red wine or flour the meat you have to cook that off for a bit. Get the bottom of the casserole dish dark and sticky.

I love a good stew!

I was told years ago by an American friend to add soy sauce at the browning stage for flavour. It doesn't end up tasting like soy sauce but just gives it a bit of depth.

Tablespoon of Branson pickle, or chutney or your choice.
glug of Worcester sauce