I've long suspected that taking the time - and having the patience - to make a stew like this would result in something worth the effort and I was right!
It's the process. I put enough vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan to make it glisten, heated until hot but not alarming, tossed in a large chopped onion, stirred until coated in oil, then left sizzling.
Next some stewing bison was put in a paper bag with enough white flour to coat it and then freshly ground black pepper, some grey salt, and a goodly amount of dried French tarragon. I've never made a stew with bison before but tarragon felt right in a mental taste test. Next time I think I'll add a few cloves as well . After shaking the bag and getting it all nicely mixed the meat etc. got added to the gently cooking onions.
Now here is where the 'patience' came in. As I cut up the vegetables I added them to the onions and meat and stirred them after each addition until all the vegetables were added. These were celery, carrot, broccoli, squash and garden potatoes. Usually I would have then added water to cover, brought to boil, turned down and let boil gently until vegetables and meat cooked. This time I held off on the water for ages and ages and ages and stirred now and then instead. It isn't that the veggies got roasted, they just got cooked in the flavouring before being watered down. It did make a difference.
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