What Spices to Add to Stew
Nothing is as warming as a hot bowl of stew on a cold evening. Stew is a do-ahead dish for busy parents, no matter what the weather. Stew is made by combining meat and vegetables in liquid for long, slow cooking. Varying the liquid and spices changes the flavor of the stew. Does this Spark an idea?
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Basic
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A spice mixture that adds flavor to a basic stew of beef, carrots, onions, celery and potatoes is black pepper, a touch of cinnamon and bay leaves. Add a few herbs such as dried oregano and parsley with salt, and your stew is seasoned. Use beef broth, beer, or red wine as the cooking liquid. Simmer in a slow cooker until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked. Enjoy with crusty bread.
Italian
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Think Italian food and the scents and flavor of fennel seed, bay leaf and saffron come to mind. Saffron is used in seafood stews such as cioppino, both for its flavor and rich, golden color. Fennel, with its taste of licorice, shows up in beef stews along with garlic, oregano and basil. Whole bay leaves are popped into stews and removed before serving. Try browning chunks of beef in olive oil, and adding chopped onions and garlic. Sautee until softened. Deglaze the pan with beef broth. Add fennel seed, bay leaf and dried oregano. Simmer until the beef is tender. Add halved cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini and carrots. Cook until the carrots are tender. Sprinkle with lemon zest and shredded basil leaves. Serve over pasta.
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Asian
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The flavors of the orient come through when Asian spices are added to stew. One of the most common is five spice powder, made from peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and Szechwan peppers. It's available commercially. Cut pork into chunks. Toss with a tablespoon or two of five spice powder and dried ginger. Brown the meat. Add small onions and garlic. Deglaze the pan with a mixture of one part soy sauce, four parts rice wine vinegar and four parts chicken broth. Cook until the pork is almost tender. Add an assortment of your favorite Asian vegetables, such as bok choy, mushrooms and long beans.
Southwest
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If only one spice could be named for the flavor of Southwest cooking, it would have to be cumin. It's the backbone of Mexican cuisine as well. Hot spices include a variety of dried peppers, plain, roasted or smoked before drying. Black pepper, paprika and coriander are used quite often in stews. One of the more uncommon spices found in Mexican cooking is cocoa. It gives a deep, rich, earthy flavor to stews. Use it with cayenne and cumin in your next chicken stew.
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References
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