*Culinary Tips & Techniques* Stews and Soups

*Stews*

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, beans, peppers and tomatoes, etc.), meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, wine, stock, and beer are also common. Seasoning and flavourings may also be added. Stews are typically cooked at a relatively low temperature (simmered, not boiled), allowing flavors to mingle.

*Old-Time Beef Stew*

Ingredients

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

*Filipino Oxtail Stew*

"This is one of the traditional foods in the Philippines, always the best for fiestas and holidays. Serve over hot cooked rice."

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef oxtail, cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 head bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup peanut butter, or as needed to thicken sauce

Directions

1. Fill a large saucepan with water, and drop in the oxtail pieces, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 hours over medium-low heat, skimming the foam occasionally, until the oxtail meat is very tender and the broth is reduced to 3 cups.
2. Stir in the eggplant, bok choy, and green beans, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Just before serving, place the peanut butter in a small bowl and thin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of broth. Stir until smooth and add to the stew.               

*Brunswick Stew*

Recipes for Brunswick stew vary greatly but it is usually a tomato-based stew containing various types of lima beans/butter beans, corn, okra, and other vegetables, and one or more types of meat. Most recipes claiming authenticity call for squirrel or rabbit meat, but chicken, pork, and beef are also common ingredients. Some versions have a distinctly smoky taste. Eastern North Carolina Brunswick Stew has potatoes, which thickens it considerably. Eastern Virginia Brunswick Stew tends to be thinner, with more tomato flavor and less smoky flavor.

The stew essentially resembles a very thick vegetable soup with meat. The key distinguishing factor between soup and Brunswick stew is the consistency. Brunswick stew must be thick; otherwise, it would be vegetable soup with meat added. Most variations have more meat and vegetables than liquid.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (3 pound) whole cooked chicken, deboned and shredded
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup hickory flavored barbeque sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• hot sauce to taste (optional)
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3 (14.75 ounce) cans cream style corn

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions and celery until soft. Mix in the pork and beef, and cook until evenly browned. Do not drain.
2. Transfer the pork and beef mixture to a large stock pot over low heat. Stir in the shredded chicken, tomatoes and their liquid, ketchup, and barbeque sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Place the whole green pepper into the mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 hours, or until thickened.
3. Stir the cream style corn into the stew mixture. Continue cooking 1 hour, or to desired consistency. Remove the green pepper; chop and return to the stew or discard.

*Sausage, Potato & Zucchini Stew*

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound spicy smoked sausage
1 onion, chopped
6 zucchini, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pound small Yukon gold potatoes, cut same size as zucchini
1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
water as needed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
few springs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon sliced fresh chives (and/or any fresh herb)
handful of cherry tomatoes
*some crusty bread wouldn't be a bad idea*

*Black Bean Stew*

"This easy yet wonderful stew can be made any time of year. The meat can be omitted without compromising the dish. Serve hot with a great bread and a nice spinach salad."

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 pound chorizo sausage, chopped
• 1/3 pound cooked ham, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 small hot green chile pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the chorizo and ham 2 to 3 minutes. Place the onion in the pot, and cook until tender. Stir in garlic, and cook until tender, then mix in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, chile pepper, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
2. Stir the beans into the pot, and cook uncovered until heated through. Mix in the mango and cilantro, and season with salt.

**SOUPS**

Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. Soups are considered to be a Dinner item as well as a snack, or appetizer. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains.

Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid than stews.

*Cream of Asparagus*

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups water
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper



Directions

1. Melt butter or margarine in a heavy cooking pot. Add onions and chopped celery; saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in flour, mixing well. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not burn, or let it go lumpy. Add water, chicken broth, and chicken soup base; stir until smooth. Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes and chopped asparagus. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Puree soup in a food processor or blender in batches. Return to pot.
3. Stir in half and half cream, soy sauce, and black and white pepper. Bring soup just to boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

*Cream of Mushroom*

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 pounds white or brown button mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 rounded tbsp flour
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen string, plus some picked leaves to garnish
2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

*Ham & Potato Soup*
"This is a delicious recipe for ham and potato soup that a friend gave to me. It is very easy and the great thing about it is that you can add additional ingredients, more ham, potatoes, etc and it still turns out great."

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk

Directions

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

*Chicken Noodle Soup*

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.