Making Slow Cooked Stews with Root Vegetables

Why Root Vegetables Suit a Slow Cooked Stew

There is something quietly sensible about a stew built on roots. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes and a knob of swede hold their shape through a long, gentle cook, and in return they thicken the liquor, sweeten it and give it body. Unlike more delicate vegetables, they do not dissolve into nothing after an hour on the hob. They simply soften, surrender their sugars and take on the flavour of whatever stock and herbs you have put around them.

Here in Suffolk, that is a good match for the way we cook. A sack of maincrop potatoes in the shed, a few parsnips lifted after the first proper frost, carrots pulled from heavy clay soil — these are the things that keep a cottage kitchen going between November and March. A pot of stew on the back of the stove fills the whole place with warmth long before it is ready to eat.

Choosing and Preparing Your Roots

For a stew that serves four generously, I use roughly 500g of floury potatoes, 3 medium carrots, 2 parsnips and, if I have one, a quarter of a swede. Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes break down slightly at the edges and help thicken the gravy; waxy varieties will stay firm but leave the sauce thinner, so add a little flour if you use them.

Cut everything into chunks of about 3cm — big enough to hold together, small enough to cook through in the time the meat needs. Carrots want a roll cut so they do not look like coins. Parsnips should be peeled, and if the core is woody or brown, cut it out; large ones can be bitter. Swede is best diced smaller, around 2cm, as it takes longer than you expect.

• Keep the chunks similar in size so nothing turns to mush before the rest is tender.
• Do not peel potatoes too far ahead or they discolour; drop them into cold water if you must.
• A handful of chopped celery or a piece of celeriac adds a savoury note without shouting.

Building the Base: Stock, Herbs and Browning

The difference between a thin, flat stew and one that tastes as though it has been simmering all day is almost always in the base. Brown your meat first — 700g of diced beef shin, chuck or lamb shoulder — in batches, in a heavy casserole with a little oil, until each piece is properly coloured. Do not crowd the pan, or it will steam rather than brown.

Then soften 2 sliced onions in the same pan, scraping up the crusty bits as they go. Stir in 1 tbsp of plain flour and 1 tbsp of tomato purée and cook for a minute until it smells nutty, not raw.

Pour in 750ml to 1 litre of good stock — beef for beef, chicken for lamb if you prefer something lighter. Add a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf and a small sprig of rosemary, tied together so you can fish them out later. Season with black pepper now and hold back the salt until the end, since stock reduces and concentrates.

The Method, Step by Step

• Heat the oven to 150°C fan or 160°C conventional, or set a slow cooker to low.
• Return the browned meat to the casserole with the onions, flour and purée.
• Add the carrots, parsnips and swede first, then the potatoes on top — they need less time and will otherwise collapse.
• Pour over the stock; the liquid should just cover the vegetables but not drown them.
• Bring to a gentle simmer on the hob, cover with a tight lid and transfer to the oven for 2½ to 3 hours, or cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Stir once halfway through, and check the liquid level — top up with a splash of stock or water if it looks dry.

If you are cooking on a range or an Aga, a low oven or the simmering plate will do the same job; the point is a tremble, not a boil. A hard boil will toughen the meat and shred the parsnips.

Serving It Up: Cottage Comforts

In the last half hour, taste and adjust the salt, then decide whether the gravy needs reducing. If it is thin, take the lid off and let it cook uncovered for twenty minutes, or mash a few pieces of potato against the side of the pot. If it is too thick, loosen it with a little hot stock.

Dumplings are the traditional finish: 100g self-raising flour, 50g shredded suet, a pinch of salt and enough cold water to bind, rolled into small balls and dropped on top of the stew for the final twenty-five minutes with the lid on. Crusty bread, mash or simply a bowl and a spoon all work well. A spoonful of pickled red cabbage on the side cuts through the richness beautifully.

Leftovers are, if anything, better the next day, once the herbs have settled and the roots have taken on the gravy properly. Cool it quickly, keep it covered in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water. On a cold Suffolk evening, with the wind coming off the fields and the windows steamed up, there are few better things to come home to.