Comfort Food for a Cold Winter's Day

The sun's out today; it's clear and bright, bitterly cold, and ice from a storm two days ago still rimes the trees, glinting and splintering the afternoon light.  It's gorgeous, really, but inhospitable too.  I took the dog for a walk an hour or so ago, and the wind was like a knife across the fields, the snow on the ground blinding.  More weather is coming in this weekend, threatening to settle the cold even deeper in our bones.  It's the perfect occasion for a stew.

I'm a big fan of soups and stews, not least because of the laziness and imprecision one can get away with.  I'm a journeyman chef at best, but provided a big pot and a few hours, I'm at my culinary zenith.  The stew I'm preparing now is a simple one; and with stews, I feel the simplest are the best.  It's a minor twist on a classic and unpretentious beef stew: venison stew with winter root vegetables.  Beef stew meat can be easily substituted for the venison, and in fact venison's role in the dish brings up the recipe's sole wrinkle, which is how beefy you actually want it to taste.  Under ordinary circumstances, I use beef bullion to add flavor to the stock, as I find venison's own taste somewhat unsuited to the pot (venison is best enjoyed for what it is on it's own, and is an underpowered flavoring agent in a stew).  Still, since this recipe has so many other flavors going on, one can lose the bullion and still be left with a strong and indeed unique product.  As I'm trying to forgo most types of meat this month, and bullion is an animal product, I'm leaving the beef out, and things will be just fine.

I also have an inordinate fondness for root vegetables, and the real stars of this stew are the carrots, potatoes, turnips, and parsnips.  I favor the parsnips most of all, and think the peppery hint they bring is overlooked too often.  It's critical not to overcook the veggies, but to allow them to keep their essential characters, instead of collapsing into general stew-mush.  Chunk the tubers up in mid-size pieces, large enough to cook slowly, but not so large that one chunk of potato constitutes a whole mouthful.  Is important to get two or three different flavors in every bite.  

As for the meat, make sure to remove all the fat you can if using venison, as the tallow turns hard and unpalatable in cooking.  If using beef, leave a certain amount of fat on the bits, as it renders out into the stock much more easily.  For seasoning, I rely heavily on celery, Wostershire sauce, and, recently, Old Bay seasoning, which adds both salt and a bit of a punch to the taste.  If using a liberal amount of Old Bay, you can leave out the bay leaves, as the seasoning has enough bay in it.

Ingredients: 

about one pound stew meat, or steak meat cut up

2 large Russet potatoes (retro, yes, but good for stew)

2-3 carrots

2-3 parsnips

2 good size turnips

one bunch of celery

one large yellow onion

2-3 Bay leaves or a few teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

4 tablespoons of Worstershire sauce (I like Lea & Perrins, good for Bloody Marys too)

3-4 beef bullion cubes (optional)

salt & pepper 

flour

a little olive oil or butter

Begin by dicing and sautéing the onion in a little oil or butter in the bottom of your stew pot; when translucent, add the meat, and brown.  When meat is browned, add enough water to cover and bring to medium heat.  After half an hour or so, add the vegetables and seasoning, add water until just covered, and bring to a low boil for another half an hour.  Then reduce to a simmer, adding water as needed to keep the level steady, and depending on how much stock-to-substance you want.  With flour and warm water, make a paste in a separate bowl, and wisk in as a thickening agent, as desired.  Allow to simmer at least an hour, preferably two, then serve, preferable with good bread and butter, and a nice dark beer.  

There you go; nothing fancy, nothing innovative, just good comfort food, dictated by the season, and seasonal availability.  Best enjoyed on a snowy night, with friends.