cooking - stew - on the fly

This is going to be a rambling recipe and process.

I have about five pounds of various meats: beef, pork, chicken that are going to make the base of a simple stew. Any meat will do, normally I would also throw in kidneys, veal, turkey, and anything else I could find, but simple today.

Cut it all in to chunks and dust in a mixture of mostly flour with the following dried spices/herbs: ground bay, granulated garlic, granulated onion, ground white pepper, and paprika. Normally, I would add cayenne, but the wife picked up a bunch of habanero for me to use. I do wish I had some ground marjoram and thyme. Oh, well.

Dust the chunks in the flour mixture and fry briefly in some oil or fat in batches. Today I am using canola. You do not need to cook through, just enough for a crust to form is okay. Or skip this step altogether. Your choice.

As the chunks crisp-up, put them in your stew pot which will have some liquid in it: stock, wine, water, whatever. Today, I am using the left over broth from the fondue earlier in the week. Monitor the thickness. You will probably need to thin it a few times as it cooks.

Add a couple of onions coarsely chopped to stew. You can fry/sauté a bit. Or not. O had some flour soaked oil left in the pan, so I fried a bit. Then, in the pot.

The vegetables. Coarsely chopped. Anything you want, root vegetables are the best for this. This time I used: parsnip, turnip, carrot (purple carrots), some celery (I like celery in a stew), sweet potato, and some actual potatoes too. You can throw whatever else is kicking around in the fridge or larder, especially if it is not enough to do much with on its own.

While cooking, keep the heat low enough to not scorch the bottom of the pot, but high enough to actually cook. You want it just bubbling. On most stove tops that will be a setting of around "3" or medium low.

Less than two hours, taking my time, everything in the pot and just simmering. I could have done it quicker, but I was having fun. It will be ready whenever I want it to be now. It does not need much seasoning, but everyone has to follow their own preferences. I may not use those habaneros for the stew. The pot is almost completely full, plus it tastes great. I will be making a soup this week some time, so maybe they will go in there. Maybe in a stir-fry. We will see.

It can be served on its own. Or with additional sides of potato or rice or pasta, sides of vegetables. A salad? Bread? Personally, I like  a salad and bread. I think I may fry some mushrooms crispy though to toss on top.

Well, that is it. Quick and dirty stew. Good for a few meals or to take for lunch too. blbbl

[N.B. Everything changes in five days.]