if you were making a stew, what would you put in it?

[lucysmam]

pretty much that really, what would you put in it? Am just curious as I'm doing stew one night this week but always end up with the same old stuff in mine
~carrotts
~onions
~leeks
~mushrooms
~spuds
& I wondered if there was anything I'm missing out on that's really nice in a stew!

We had stew for tea tonight - just lamb. potatoes, swede and onion in stock. It was lovely.

Tin of tomatoes?
turnip/swede?
Peppers?
Aubergine?

Pearl barley?

I will throw a pepper (chopped up of course) in and pieces of celery makes it taste nice aswell.

rosemary or thyme

oooh, peppers a good idea! and tin of toms. not sure about aubergine as oh not keen but then again would probably not know it was in there!

swede's something I never buy as there's only me who likes it but think I might risk it too

MIL said something about adding herbs to dumplings but I wasn't sure. Does it make them taste better?

My favourite beef stew is:

onion, garlic, celery, beef in carraway seed seasoned flour, carrot, parsnip, turnip, rosemary, lemon zest, beef stock, red wine and tomato puree.

Celery & swede.

I don't actually like swede itself but it adds a delicious flavour to the "gravy".

Love celery in stews as well as lentils. They bulk it out well and make it taste quite nice I think! I usually make a simple one with just carrot, onion, chicken and potato with a handful of lentils.

sweet potato can be nice in stew.

ooooooh, combustible, vino! definately a good one. Especially since just me and oh will be eating it!

garlic too.

Think I'm going to get pen n paper when tonight's tea is on and make a note. Will probably end up with so much stuff in it there'll be no room for the meat but never mind

oooohhhh my stew is great
1lb stewing steak
parsnip
carrot
sweed
shallots
tin of tomato puree
2 tins of tomatos
beef stock
1 tin of corned beef
pepper (i like lots do it to your taste)
and another tin of corned beef goes in 30 minuets before the end of cooking

corned beef? hmmm, that is worth thinking about putting in too! I'm getting hungry now, off to put my tea for tonight on!

Well if I was from the North West I wouldn't call it stew; it would be lobby.. and I'd put in whatever was to hand..lard, strips of wallpaper, a passing cat...

To make it nice and thick, coat beef in seasoned flour and then brown off in pan. When you add the veg and stock it thickens the gravy lovely.

When I make stew (forgot leek BTW) I tend to make a big pot. The spare can be kept in the fridge/frozen and the flavour improves with resting.

I love aubergine and chickpeas in vegetable stews with basil and tomatoes, thyme and white wine with chicken and mushrooms and moroccan style lamb stews/tagines with spices like cinnamon and preserved lemons.

You can put wine into stews for children, as the alcohol cooks off.

Ahem ShinyHPHH, I think you're thinking of lobscouse. In Manchester we call it stew like normal people

Combust it must be just the Wiganers then.. they're a strange lot.. they put a whole PIE in a bread roll and call in a "wigan barm"!!

Pearl Barley
orange Lentils
white/butter beans
bulgar wheat
wild rice
mini pasta

Oh them. To be fair, with my Irish family background it was always going to be stew.

lamb shoulder, onion, carrot, celery, red wine, stock, bay leaf, rosemary, sometimes handful of pot barley

Beef, potatoes, parnsips, carrots, peas, baked beans, leeks, lentils, stock.

lovely, ta very much!! I will be adding lots of new stuff this weekend to try out, could probably just get away with veggies with these suggestions & I don't think oh would notice

I chop celery and swede up very small so they basically dissolve and thicken the stew same with potato's.

'Stew' in the oven right now:

1 1/2 lbs of stewing steak (shin of beef, cubed
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch of fresh ginger
juice of half a lemon and one orange
5 fl oz wine
1/2 pint of water
2 tbsps soy sauce
2 tbsps vegetable oil

Finely slice the onion, crush the garlic and finely chop the ginger, then stir fry in a casserole dish in the oil

After a minute, add the beef and fry for another 3 minutes

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir

Bring to the boil, then cook in the oven at 150 until tender - probably around 3 hours.

The recipe I have is actually for double the quantities I've given here, which is supposed to serve 8, and the cooking time is given as 4 1/2 hours.

I have halved it, as I'm cooking for for, but looking at the quantity as it's cooking, I think it's probably not enough for 4.

It smells lovely, though! I'm going to serve it with egg fried rice and noodles.

rice n noodles with stew? well, that's a new one. Is it nice with rice? never thought to try it with anything other than dumplings n mash