(no subject)

[gothwalk]

And a final update on the state of the stew. It became evident a couple of hours ago that it was expanding too much to fit into the one stewpot, so I halved it and continued to add equal measures of the remaining ingredients to each. We're now at two full-size stew pots, each nearly full, which are cooking away happily, and will continue to do so until eight or so, when we're expecting help in consuming it in the form of wyvernfriend and her husband. Although given that there's, at a guess, around twenty litres of stew there, it won't all be gone tonight. We got some half-precooked petit pains as well - the kind you stick in the oven for a few minutes to finish them off. So there's fresh bread to go with the stew.

I've been very good about cleaning as I go today, but there are still a few odds and ends that could do with attending to, so I'll go and take care of them. Stew-making makes for a good day.

Comments

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

can I have your recipe??

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

It's not so much a recipe as guidelines, really. But the core of it goes: At least 500g of meat - beef or lamb, cubed to about 1cm a side. Coat these in a mix of flour, salt and pepper (a teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper to about 100g of flour). Fry them on a very hot pan until barely browned - they don't have to be brown all over. Cover with water in a large saucpan, and start to heat. Simmer, don't boil. Peel and chop some potatoes - about twice as much in volume as the meat is good, but you can vary that to taste, and add to the meat, putting in some more water to keep everything covered. Then add turnip, onions, and carrots, all peeled and chopped, each about as much in volume as the meat. (Turnip is a bastard to chop; use a big knife or even a small saw). Keep simmering, add other stuff, and then some beef stock and some herbs - English savouries are good, basil, thyme, sage, parsley, but anything goes - and continue to simmer. About six hours after you started, it's done.

Re:

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

ooh, that sounds lovely. Thanks!!

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Loved your updates! You should become a food writer. =)

I don't think I've ever had a stew with turnips in it, though. Maybe when they start showing up at the farmer's market, I'll try that. I went today but only came up with grapes. I was in the mood for something autumnal like squash.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I've yet to establish precisely what a squash is... what comes to mind is something pumpkin-ish, but I've no idea why; I've certainly never seen one. Hmm, shouldn't be long before they start selling pumpkins here for Samhain...

Squash

[wyvernfriend.livejournal.com]

take a look at Squash for information on squashes...

Re:

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

A pumpkin is a kind of squash. All kinds of gourds and stuff are squash.

[wyvernfriend.livejournal.com]

Stew was excellent, thanks much from myself and Dave, company was good, had a very good evening!!