[Sca-cooks] OOP - help my stews!

[Amy Cooper]

Thanks to everyone who replied, on and offlist.

I hope I'm understanding this all right - below is my summary of what
I SHOULD be doing

1) Don't skip flouring and searing
2) Use bay leaf, and NOT rosemary (it really was just a wee pinch, really!)
3) Fresh garlic, not dried
4) Something for acid, something for sugar - would a splash of a
vinegar be ok for the acid? I tend not to keep wine around the house,
or if I DO have it, it's old. Verjus maybe?
5) A little Worcestershire sauce is good
6) Possibly add veggies later - I would like to do this, but being a
working (and effectively single right now) mom, I think best I can do
is put the carrots in frozen.
7) Use broth/stock (which I can now that I've located it!)

I think I'll try another batch of stew this week, perhaps for Friday dinner...

Ilsebet

On Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 4:43 PM, Sharon Palmer <ranvaig at columbus.rr.com> wrote:
>> .Also, I find that a couple of bay leaves makes a big difference in almost
>> any stewed beef dish (hides, or mixes with a bitter flavor and rounds it out
>> to something yummy).
>
> Bay leaf becomes amazing if you saute it in a bit of butter or oil for a
> minute or so.  Then add the meat or onions, or anything else that needs
> sauteing and continue with your recipe.
>
> I learned this from a favorite cookbook called _The Foods and Wines of
> France_ (or something like that, the book itself has gone missing).  The
> recipe was pork chops and bay leaf sauteed in butter and cooked with white
> wine.  I've been vegetarian for 35 years and don't miss meat, but I can
> still remember how good they were.
>
> Ranvaig
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