Above: Raisins and white wine flavour this sophisticated stew of carrots and baby onions. Right: Vegetable and rice curry stew. - Cole Publishing Group/Distributed By Universal Press SyndicateFROM MEXICAN chile verde to ragout, curry and hotpot, stews of all kinds are served up on nearly every continent on earth. Vegetable stews are the most versatile, since they can be served as a main dish or as an accompaniment to roasted or broiled meats. A technique for slow-cooking food in water, stock or other flavoured liquids, stewing is ideal for tenderising tougher cuts of meat, mature poultry, certain types of seafood or dried beans and other dehydrated foods.
For fresh vegetables that bear longer cooking -- for example, carrots, parsnips, onions and pumpkin -- stewing develops their natural sweetness. And for combinations of vegetables with herbs and other ingredients, stewing melds flavours in a way that few other cooking techniques can achieve.
SUCCESS TIP
When stewing vegetable combinations, sort the ingredients according to their cooking times and add them to the stewpot in the appropriate order. Add the most delicate ingredients, such as fresh peas or leafy greens, when the cooking period is nearly over.
Carrot and Onion Stew
The cooking liquid for this dish reduces to create a handsome glaze for the vegetables.
2 tbps. butter or olive oil
1 lb. carrots, quartered and
cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 lb. small boiling onions, peeled
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
METHOD
1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and sauté until lightly browned.
2. Add raisins, wine, water, salt, pepper and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender (about 25 to 30 minutes).
3. Raise heat to medium, uncover and cook until the liquid forms a syrupy glaze (about 10 minutes). If mixture is too watery, remove vegetables carefully with a slotted spoon and boil the liquid until it thickens; return vegetables to liquid and heat gently. Stew can be stored, covered, up to 2 days in refrigerator; reheat in covered frying pan over low heat.
4. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot.
Serves 4.
Chile Verde with Pumpkin
Jamaicanise this Mexican stew by substituting the ingredients marked withwith local items.
2 (13-oz.) cans tomatillos
2 (7-oz.) cans poblano chiles
1 fresh or canned serrano
or jalapeno chile
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 onions, diced
2 1/2 lbs. fresh pumpkin or winter
squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
8 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded,
or 1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes
2 cups freshly cooked or canned corn
kernels, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked red peas
2 tbsps. cilantro, for garnish
Tomatillos: Use small green tomatoes with a dash of lemon or limejuice.
Poblano chillies: Use 2 cups of green (sweet) pepper instead.
Jalapeno chile: Use local scotch bonnett pepper, but make sure you adjust it to your tolerance for heat.
METHOD
1. Place tomatillos and chiles in a food processor; puree. Reserve.
2. In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil; add garlic and onions. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Add cubed pumpkin.
3. Stir in reserved tomatillo mixture;
add cumin, oregano and salt. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until pumpkin is tender.
4. Drain and quarter tomatoes. Add tomatoes, corn and beans to saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Serves 8.
Vegetable curry with coconut milk
Canned curry paste makes preparing this vegetarian dish quick and convenient.
1 (4-oz.) can yellow
or red curry paste
2 cups (14-oz. can) regular
or 'lite' coconut milk
Salt or soy sauce, as needed
2 1/2 to 3 cups assorted
vegetables: cauliflower or
broccoli florets; sweet
potatoes, peeled and diced;
string beans, trimmed and
cut in 2-inch lengths; red
sweet peppers, sliced;
zucchini, sliced (if
available); cabbage,
cut into 1-inch squares
Steamed rice
METHOD
1. To a saucepan over medium heat, add curry paste. Heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Stir in coconut milk, blend with curry paste, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Taste; add salt or soy sauce as needed.
2. Add vegetables to the simmering coconut milk mixture in order of their cooking time, beginning with cauliflower, broccoli and sweet potato, which take about 10 minutes to cook. Then add string beans and bell peppers, which need about 5 minutes, and finish with zucchini and cabbage, which need only 1 or 2 minutes. Adjust heat during cooking to keep liquid at a lively simmer. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve over steamed rice.
Serves 4 with other dishes.
