I only say this because not only does my food taste good but people tell me so.
They are not fake people so if it's bad they say so. (Very rare it's bad...like twice in 3 years)
I enjoy constructive criticism so the aren't afraid to say when it's bad or what could have made it better.
Anyways...
My stews suck.
Ya it's healthy and hearty ...[text shortened]... stew.
My meals have a massive amount of flavor but my Stews are always sort of bland.
No "Pop"
Everybody cooks scouse (a local stew) differently, different meat, different stock, different seasoning, but the best has usually been cooked really slowly for hours. Spend quite some time just frying the onions even before the meat goes in. You cook the veg for some time and then it needs at least a couple of hours after the water, stock and potato are added. This is the bit where people tend to do there own thing, which for me is add quite a lot of Worcester sauce. Some people add beer at that point as well.
Thinking of the Chinese quartet of "hot, sour, salty, sweet" plus "aromatic" from the Euros -- well, you have already mentioned W sauce, but on another day maybe some kind of vinegar (balsamic or malt) or lemon pepper for the sour? Or maybe dried orange peel?
For aromatic, maybe cumin or a little rosemary? Plus a sprinkle of black pepper at the end even if that was included earlier.
@lipareenosaid I clearly need a recipe book.
I'm outta my league here.
It's just a matter of learning the ingredients and which ones go well together.
After that, cookbooks might still be good for new ideas and combinations, even if you don't bother with the measurements.
A tip RE rosemary: it might be a little more potent than you think it would be, so just use a tiny amount until you learn it and know how to adjust the amount for the dish.
As for me, I tend to overseason things, so might not be a good source of advice. 😉
Another tip: dried elements have concentrated flavor, so: chives, dried chopped onion or garlic, dried mushrooms/bits/powder (I especially recommend porcini).
If you have an Asian store nearby, that's a good place to look for good deals on spices (not so much herbs) and dried, fried garlic or onion.
Can't make the Stew Pop?
20 Jun '22 13:56
Back to Top