Star stews: dress up comfort food for autumn entertaining - Food & Entertaining

Sunset, Oct, 2003 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

When it's time to throw a party, seemingly humble stews are often overlooked. But take a second glance, because these dishes have many virtues. They can be made ahead, and they take well to either buffet or plated service. With our simple browning technique--which lends color and deep, succulent flavor to the meat--they're easy to cook.

Best of all, though, you can add garnishes to transform any stew from comfort food to a stylish party dish. Our two very special stews--a peppery Italian beef stew and a savory Moroccan lamb tagine--staud on their own, but they're true stars when embellished with fresh gremolata or homemade harissa. Add a green salad, and you have a party dinner that's perfect for warming up fall's chilly nights.

Italian Peppered
Beef Stew (Peposo)

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 2 1/2 hours

NOTES: John Ash, culinary director of Bonterra
and Fetzer Vineyards, adds a generous quantity
of garlic and cracked pepper to this beef
stew. The gremolata adds a fresh finish of
lemon and garlic. Start the polenta about 30
minutes before stew is done. The stew can be
prepared through step 2 up to 1 day ahead;
cool, cover, and chill. Reheat over medium-high
heat, covered, stirring occasionally.

MAKES: 6 servings

 4 pounds fat-trimmed boned beef chuck or
   other cut suitable for stewing, rinsed and
   out into 1 1/2-inch chunks
 2 cups dry red wine such as Zinfandel or
   Merlot
 2 cans (14 1/2 oz, each) diced tomatoes
 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves or
 3 tablespoons dried basil
18 peeled garlic cloves
 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh-cracked or
   coarse-ground black pepper
   Salt

   Creamy polenta (recipe on page 144;
   see notes)

   Oven-dried tomatoes (recipe on page 144)
   or 2 Roma tomatoes, rinsed and sliced
   crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

   Gremolata (recipe on page 144)

1. Brown beef (see "No-Mess Browning," page
142). Discard fat.

2. Add wine, canned tomatoes (including
juices), basil, garlic, and 1 tablespoon cracked
pepper to pan with beef. Cover and bring to a
boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until beef is very
tender when pierced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim off
and discard fat. Add salt and up to 1/2 tablespoon
more cracked pepper to taste.

3. Spoon polenta onto dinner plates or a large
shallow bowl or rimmed platter. With a
slotted spoon, lift out beef and mound onto
center of polenta. Measure remaining pan
juices; if less than 3 cups, add water to make
that amount, return to pan, and bring to
a boil; add salt to taste and pour juices into a
serving bowl. Pass pan juices to add to taste.
Garnish stew with oven-dried tomato slices
and gremolata.

Per serving of stew: 504 cal., 41% (207 cal,) from fat; 61 g
protein; 23 g fat (8.5 g sat.); 11 g carbo (2.1 g fiber); 463 mg
sodium; 197 mg chol.

No-mess
browning

Browning the meat is
the foundation of a good
stew, but it can be time-consuming,
requiring the
meat to be cooked in several
batches, or messy,
leaving you with an oil-spattered
stove. In our
technique of sweating the
meat, the juices and fat
render with the pan covered.
Then, after the pan
is uncovered, the meat
browns in one batch, its
juices evaporating and
caramelizing. This neat,
easy process lends deep
flavor to the finished stew
Here's how:

1. Place meat in a heavy-bottomed
5- to 6-quart pan
Add 1/2 cup water; cover an
bring to a boil over high
heat. Reduce heat and sire
mar briskly over medium
heat until meat is gray on
the outside and has rendered
juices and fat, 15 to
20 minutes.

2. Uncover path, increase
heat to high, and stir often
until most of the liquid has
evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to
medium-high and stir often
until meat juices have
caramelized and darkened
and meat has browned in
the rendered fat, about 5
minutes longer. If drippings
and the brown film on pan
begin to scorch, reduce
heat to medium.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 3/4 hours

NOTES: This stew is adapted from a recipe by
Heidi Krahling, chef-owner of Insalata in Sa
Anselmo, California. To add extra layers of flavor,
garnish the stew with preserved lemons and
harissa (see recipes on page 144, or purchase
prepared versions at specialty food stores).

MAKES: 6 servings

   4 pounds fat-trimmed boned lamb shoulder or
      other cut suitable for stewing, rinsed and cut
      into 1 1/2-inch chunks
    2 onions (8 oz. each), peeled and thinly sliced
    4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
    1 tablespoon each paprika and ground cumin
    1 teaspoon each ground turmeric, ground
      cinnamon, and minced fresh ginger
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
    1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
      Salt and fresh-ground pepper
      Fluffy couscous (recipe on page 144)
  1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
  1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Brown lamb (see "No-Mess Browning" at
left). Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from
the pan.

2. Add onions and garlic to pan; stir often over
medium heat until onions begin to get limp,
3 to 5 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, turmeric,
cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, and cardamom;
stir until very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add
broth, tomatoes (including juices), and tomato
paste. Bring to a boil over high treat. Reduce
heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally,
until lamb is tender when pierced, about
1 hour. Skim off and discard any fat. Add salt
and pepper to taste.

3. On dinner plates or a large rimmed platter,
mound couscous and form a well in the center.
With a slotted spoon, transfer lamb and vegetables
to well. Measure pan juices; if less than
3 cups, add water to make that amount, return
to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add
salt to taste. Pour juices into a bowl and pass to
add to taste. Scatter olives and cilantro over
lamb; garnish as desired (see notes).

Per serving of tagine: 737 cal., 48% (351 cal.) from fat; 80 g
Protein; 39 g fat (14 g sat.); 13 g carbo (2.2 g fiber); 504 mg
Sodium; 266 mg chol.