Your favorite stew....what one item can you not leave out?

[bearfat]

What one item do you feel gives your fav stew that something extra?

Lets exclude meat and potato since they are usually a given in most stews.

I'll start off. I've experimented with alot of bear stews the past year and without a doubt the one item I now know I have to have is:    onion

[Dee]

Garlic!

[Rummer]

This is gonna sound odd, but I wouldn't make a stew without using a flavorful liquid (a liquid other than water) as the base.  Usually I use stock with a little wine.

[bearfat]

Yaaaa the beef base was probably my second choice Rummer.

Dee are you cutting up garlic bulbs? How many to a pot? I love garlic with homemade sausage but have not tried it yet in the bear stew.

[burntmuch]

celery.   It gives alot of flavor

[Dee]

Yaaaa the beef base was probably my second choice Rummer.

Dee are you cutting up garlic bulbs? How many to a pot? I love garlic with homemade sausage but have not tried it yet in the bear stew.

two cloves, bulbs, whatever.

[GRIMJIM]

My wife makes a mean stew. Okay it was an oxtail soup recipe that she changed a bit,but it has turnips and parsnips in it and without those it wouldn't be the same. Awesome with caribou meat.

[rockbilly]

Try roasted garlic.   I use it for everything, including mixing with butter and spreading on bread.  It give soups, stews, etc a unique flavor, works great in a pot roast, or for stir fry. 

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001712roasted_garlic.php

[gp911]

The previous posts hit some of my favorites. I'll add this one: Bay leaf! Throw a couple of those in there if it'll be simmering awhile, adds a neat dimension to the broth.

Another item I like to throw in at times is corn. It adds a sweetness and crunch to the stew, plus it works well in chili!


gp911

[Dee]

The previous posts hit some of my favorites. I'll add this one: Bay leaf! Throw a couple of those in there if it'll be simmering awhile, adds a neat dimension to the broth.

Another item I like to throw in at times is corn. It adds a sweetness and crunch to the stew, plus it works well in chili!


gp911

No fair! You said ONE ingrediant and gp911 gave TWO, and it (corn) was one of my other ingrediants. FOUL! I cry FOUL!

[briarpatch]

now Dee are you saying you want to add chicken when you say (foul)  lol.

[cattoon]

Ok fellas I don't post much but here's my vote, for deer or beef stew either one, throw in a few pieces of bacon, I can't leave it out, adds a lot of flavor.

[bearfat]

The previous posts hit some of my favorites. I'll add this one: Bay leaf! Throw a couple of those in there if it'll be simmering awhile, adds a neat dimension to the broth.

Another item I like to throw in at times is corn. It adds a sweetness and crunch to the stew, plus it works well in chili!


gp911

No fair! You said ONE ingrediant and gp911 gave TWO, and it (corn) was one of my other ingrediants. FOUL! I cry FOUL!

Corn? Is there a certain way you two prepare it like whole sweet corn cut off the cob or just out of a can?

[Dee]

Drain the can, wash the corn, and then dump it into the mix. We do green beans the same way whether by themselves or when we make stew, and yes we put green beans into the stew also.

[gp911]

Dee replied before I could! Foul I  say, FOUL!

I cut sweet corn fresh off the cob (rinsed) when it is plentiful and I have too much of it. Just pitch it in and let it cook with the broth/stock/etc. Adds a nice dimension to summertime chili, especially when you overdo it on the peppers. It also adds an extra dimension the day after in that instance, but ummm, we'll leave it at that. Tasty though!

I'm assuming I'm not the only one who craves chili in the summer?


gp911