Stewing
Definition
Stewing is the slow cooking of food cut into pieces and cooked in the minimum amount of liquid (water, stock or sauce); the food and liquid are served together.
Purpose
Because stewing is both economical and nutritional, cheaper cuts of meat and poultry, which would be unsuitable for roasting and grilling, can be made tender and palatable.
Stewing also produces an acceptable flavour, texture and eating quality.
Methods of Stewing
All stews have a thickened consistency achieved by:
a.) The unpassed ingredients in the stew, e.g. Irish stew;
b.) Thickening of the cooking liquor, e.g. blanquette (white stew);
c.) Cooking in the sauce, e.g. brown stew.
Stewed foods can be cooked in a covered pan on the stove or in a moderate oven.
Foods cooked by stewing
Fish – bouillabaisse (French soup/stew).
Meat – goulash, minced beef, haricot mutton, Irish stew, brown stew of veal, white stew of veal
Poultry – chicken fricassee, curried chicken, tripe and onions, jugged hare
Vegetables – marrow provencale, rataouille
Braising
Definition
Braising is the method of cooking in the oven; unlike roasting or baking the food is cooked in liquid in a covered pan, casserole or cocotte. It is a combination of stewing and pot roasting.
Purpose
a.) To give variety to the menu and the diet.
b.) To make food tender, digestible, palatable, and safe to eat
c.) To produce and enhance flavour, texture and eating quality.
Methods of braising
There are two methods: brown braising, used for joints and portion-sized cuts of meat; white braising, used for vegetables and sweetbreads.
1 Brown braising:
a.) Joints, e.g. beef, venison, are marinaded and may be larded then sealed quickly by browning on all sides in a hot oven or in a pan on the stove. Sealing the joints helps retain flavour, nutritive value and gives a good brown colour. Joints are then placed on a bed of roots in a braising pan, with the liquid and other flavourings, covered with a lid and cooked slowly in the oven.
b.) Cuts, e.g. steaks, chops, liver. The brown braising of cuts of meat is similar to that of joints.
2 White braising: e.g. celery, cabbage and sweetbreads. These are blanched, refreshed, cooked on a bed of roots with white stock in a covered container in the oven.
Examples of foods which are braised
Farinaceous – rice
Meat: lamb – hearts, chops
beef – olives, joints, liver
veal – shoulder
Poultry – duck
Vegetables – celery, onions
Poached Fish
Although recipes 50-60 are given for fillets of sole, any white fish may be prepared and served in the following manner. Always place a little sauce under the fish before masking; this is to keep the fish moist, to prevent it overcooking and sticking to the dish, thus facilitating the service. Shallots must be finely chopped and may need to be sweated in a little butter before use.
Fillets of sole Duglere
INGREDIENTS:
500-600g 1-1 ¼ lb 2 soles
10g ½ oz finely chopped shallot
200g 8 oz tomatoes concassee
pinch chopped parsley
salt, pepper
60 ml 1/8 pt fish stock
60 ml 1/8 pt dry white wine
juice of ¼ lemon
250 ml ½ pt fish veloute
50 g 2 oz butter
METHOD:
q Remove the black and white skins and fillet the soles.
q Wash and drain well.
q Butter and season an earthenware dish or sauté pan.
q Sprinkle in the sweated chopped shallots.
q Add the fillets, which may be folded in two, add the tomatoes and chopped parsley.
q Season with salt and pepper.
q Add the fish stock, wine and the lemon juice.
q Cover with a buttered greaseproof paper.
Irish Stew- 4 portions
INGREDIENTS:
500g 1lb 4 oz stewing lamb
bouqet garni
400g 1 lb potatoes
100g 4 oz onions
100g 4 oz celery
100g 4 oz Savoy cabbage
100g 4 oz leeks
100g 4 oz button onions
chopped parsley
METHOD:
q Trim the meat and cut into even pieces. Blanch and refresh.
q Place in a sauteuse or shallow saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil, season with salt and skim. If tough meat is being used, allow ½ - 1 hr stewing before adding any vegetables.
q Add the bouquet garni. Turn the potatoes into barrel shapes.
q Cut the potato trimmings, onions, celery, cabbage and leeks into small neat pieces, and add to the meat, simmer for 30 min.
q Add the button onions, and simmer for a further 30 min.
q Add the potatoes and simmer gently, with a lid on the pan until cooked.
q Correct the seasoning and skim off all fat.
q Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
q Optional accompaniments: Worcester sauce or pickled red cabbage.
Boiled Silverside, Carrots and Dumplings – 4 portions
INGREDIENTS:
400g 1lb silverside
200g 8oz onions
200g 8oz carrots
100g 4oz suet paste
METHOD:
q Soak the meat in cold water to remove excess brine for 1 – 2 hr.
q Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water, bring to the boil, skim and simmer 45 min.
q Add whole prepared onions and carrots and simmer until cooked
q Divide the suet paste into 8 even pieces, lightly mould into balls.
q Add the dumplings and simmer for a further 15 – 20 min.
q Serve by carving the meat across the grain, garnish with carrots, onions, and dumplings and moisten with a little of the cooking liquor.
Note: It is usual to cook a large joint of silverside (approx. 6kg (12 lb)), in which case it is necessary to soak it overnight and to allow 25 min per ½ kg (1 lb) plus 25 min.
Braised Steaks
INGREDIENTS:
400g 1 lb stewing beef
25g 1 oz fat or oil
75g 3 oz onions
75g 3 oz carrots
25g 1 oz flour, browned in the oven
25g 1 oz tomato puree
750ml 1 ½ pt brown stock
bouquet garni
clove of garlic (if desired)
seasoning
METHOD:
q Remove excess sinew and fat form the beef.
q Cut into ½ - 1 cm (1/4 – 1/2 in) thick steaks.
q Fry quickly in hot fat till lightly browned.
q Add the mirepox (roughly cut onions and carrot) and continue frying to a golden colour. Mix in the flour.
q Add the tomato puree and stir in with a wooden spoon
q Mix in the stock, bring to the boil and skim.
q Add the bouquet garni and garlic, season and cover with a lid and simmer gently till cooked, preferably in the oven, approx. 1 1/2 - 2 hr.
q When cooked place the meat into a clean pan.
q Correct the sauce and pass on to the meat.
q Serve in an entrée dish with chopped parsley.
q Braised steaks may be garnished with vegetables cut in macedoine or jardinière, or turned or cut in neat, even pieces.
