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?

Did a bit of mix and match here with what I had in

Really slowly caramelised onions
Added sugar
Browned beef well added garlic
Deglazed with red wine and port as didn't have much wine
Added 500 ml ish stock, chunky carrots, good splash of Henderson's and a good splash of soy sauce
2 bay leaves
I've just added cornflour slurry and another stock pot without water and it tastes great it's gone back in to thicken and I'll add dumplings in half hour or so

I'm going to try other suggestions though so thanks all

Potts' stock in a can

Balsamic vinegar. Blackcurrant jam.

Add a good dollop of tomato puree and a heaped dessert spoon of brown sugar. Check the salt is adequate and reduce liquid if too dilute. In place of stock use 25 MLS soy sauce

For beef casserole I use a variety of the following - thyme, marjoram, parsley, celery salt (you only need a tiny pinch of that), Dijon mustard, or horseradish sauce, smoked paprika, worcester sauce, mushroom ketchup, a tablespoon of Branston pickle, chopped dried fruit such as prunes or apricots, swede, parsnips, carrots, shallots etc. I try to change things about a bit each time.

I only use beef steak diced, onion, swede, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, a tin of oxtail soup and oxo cubes, cover with some water and put in the oven very low for 6 hours and it tastes great

Smoked bacon/pancetta works well in a beef or chicken stew.

Have not RTFT: use Henderson's Relish

HP sauce! Works wonders. Adds richness and acidity.

tomato paste gives it a rich finish. I use it for pot roast too.

Agree with this. Using the right cut makes all the difference. We’ve just had this nigella oxtail stew for dinner and it was delicious.

www.nigella.com/recipes/oxtail-with-milk-stout-and-marjoram

Dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water, then added along with the (filtered/strained) soaking water. They are expensive but a few go a long way because of the rich flavour.
Also - a dash of soy sauce (reduce other salt) gives flavour and colour.
About a tablespoon of tomato puree gives thickening, colour and flavour.
If you add flour for thickening the stew, try reducing the amount.
Lastly try adding some more alcohol along with the wine -- a splash or two of brandy or whiskey, or a medium dry sherry, marsala or madeira.

Anchovies give a great not too salty richness.
Pearl Barley for taste and texture.
Dumplings. Not the light fluffy kind, just plain flour and water and a touch of salt. About the size of a 10p piece and about 1 cm thick.

You're looking for umami here. Things like tomato puree, mushroom ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Hendersons Relish, soy sauce, miso etc. You can even add a tiny bit of Thai fish sauce - I add that to stews at the pan deglazing stage.

Up the black pepper, season the veg and meat as you add them. Any herbs you like other than the bay leaves? Rosemary/oregano/thyme/parsley or spices?

I looked into flavour combinations a long time ago, my favourite is thyme, lemon and garlic with chicken.

Worcestershire sauce, soy, Aldi whiskey sauce, jerk flavourings are some I like. Paprika with pork, but don’t use old spices, they are musty and a waste in my opinion of good food.

Fatty meats on the bone and use a pressure cooker. Also blended celery.

Maybe pp have said already but it helps to brown the meat really, really well. If meat is full of fluid or if you overcrowd the pan it can sort of steam and go grey instead of getting a great brown crust.

Season it first and brown in small batches. If it's messy or if there’s a lot of it you can put it on a tray under the grill, just deglaze the tray thoroughly. Don't worry about it drying out, stewing will sort out the texture.

When I think it's brown enough I usually let it go a bit longer 😀

Half a turnip chopped fairly small, it dissolves into the sauce and adds a massive depth of flavour.

Fry some chopped celery with the onions.
Cook it in the oven very slowly the day before eating it. The flavours develop with time.

Plenty of seasoning