25 classic stews to master this winter

By TASTE, 24 October 2014

Few things warm the soul (and keep the winter chills at bay) as well as a hearty, slow-cooked stew. TASTE rounds up a collection of tried-and-tested winners.

Ah, stew. Could there be anything easier or more rewarding than a pot of hearty cooked meat and vegetables (or just veggies, if you’re so inclined) enjoyed around the dinner table? The fantastic thing is that you don’t even need to be a particularly good cook to make a respectable version of this one-pot wonder. All that’s needed is a bit of quick sautéing, the addition of a generous helping of good-quality stock, and time takes care of the rest.

It’s one of the humblest of dishes, yet is sure to have guests clamouring for seconds at a dinner party. Plus, it’s pretty versatile dish, lending itself perfectly to that other winter-warming wonder, carbs. Pair it with buttery polenta, creamy mashed potato, rice, couscous or homemade dumplings – anything that will act as a vehicle for all that flavourful gravy – remembering the all important bread to mop up every last juicy morsel.

It is in homage to this slow-cooked, spirit-restoring dish that we’ve rounded up some of our favourite stew recipes, made with everything from seafood and lamb to borlotti beans and boerewors. Enjoy!

VEGETARIAN

Autumn vegetable stew with grilled cheese
Curried bean stew
Mixed squash stew with borlotti beans and feta
Mushroom hotpot with greens
Tofu and Asian vegetable hotpot

SEAFOOD

Caldeirada – Portuguese fish stew
Easy bouillabaisse with sun-dried-tomato pesto and fresh basil
Senegalese fish-and-rice stew

MEATY

Beef goulash
Beef knuckle stew on creamed parsnip, sprinkled with crisp horseradish
Beer-braised lamb shank and rosemary velouté
Boerewors stew
Braised chicken, tomato and olives on soft polenta
Braised chicken with tomatoes and peppers
Cheat’s cassoulet
Chicken sausage tagine
Coq au vin
French coq au vin
Lamb and quince tagine with saffron
Lamb, chickpea and butternut stew
Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives
Ossobuco alla Milanese
Pork and butter bean goulash
Spatchcock chicken in a tomato vindaloo potjie with radish pickle
Spiced pork-and-corn stew
Teriyaki beef with mushroom hotpot

TASTE

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The TASTE team is a happy bunch of keen cooks and writers, always on the look out for the next food trend or the next piece of cake.
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