Stewing In Their Own Juices

Europe

England

A British dish that has been influenced by Indian cuisine is chicken tikka masala. The dish is a combination of marinated, tandoor cooked chicken pieces in a spicy tomato cream sauce.

The actual origins of the dish are debatable but today it can even be considered the country's national dish. In 2001 Foreign Secretary Robin Cooke proclaimed chicken tikka masala a symbol of modern multicultural Britain.

Ireland

A well-known dish in Ireland is Irish stew which became a traditional folk stew at the beginning of the 19th century. It was created when it became a necessity to make a meal out of leftovers. The original Irish stew was made with mutton, onions, potatoes, and barley. Then later on other variations came about adding lamb and root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and parsnips.

Today even beef has been used in recipes. To make the meat more tender meat with the bone-in is cooked slowly for some hours so that that meat becomes very tender and can release fat into the stew and make it more flavorable.

France

Pot-au-feu is a classic French stew with boiled meat and vegetables, Its name translates to "pot on fire" and it is one of the oldest French winter dishes.

Originally the stew was cooked over an open fire with cheap cuts of meat and vegetables like potatoes, onions, carrots, leeks, and turnips. It all cooks together and creates a savory stew that is comforting to enjoy during the cold season.

Another French stew is daube which is a hearty Provencal stew made of lamb or beef that is simmered slowly in wine with different vegetables and seasonings such as cinnamon, cloves, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns.

To properly prepare daube the ingredients have to be added in layers with the meat on the bottom and the vegetables and spices on top. Usually, the stew is prepared in a special earthenware vessel known as a daubiere. It is specially shaped to stop the liquid in the stew from evaporating. There are cooks that seal the lid with a paste of flour and water. Daube is often served with la macaronade, flat macaroni cooked in a sauce made from the braising juices with a bit of white wine and mushrooms added.

Belgium

A traditional Belgian seafood stew is waterzooi. It has a creamy consistency with julienne-style sliced vegetables, an egg, and a cream-based soup. The origins of this dish come from the city of Ghent, The rivers surrounding the city were abundant with fish so the dish was created to incorporate fish into traditional Belgian cuisine.

Today with a decrease in fish and the rise of pollution the dish has again been recreated and now waterzooi is prepared with chicken. There are many restaurants in Ghent that offer waterzooi as their signature dish.

Carbonnade is a traditional Belgian stew that combines beef with dark beer. It is often referred to as carbonade falmande or stover and makes a rich and hearty stew. The main ingredient is beef along with traditional Belgian dark beer.

The dish has certain sour and earthy flavors that compliment the sweet onions and tender beef. For added flavor thyme, garlic, and bay leaves are added. At times slices of mustard bread are included to thicken the sauce.

Poland

Bigos is a traditional Polish stew that is also referred to as hunter's stew and can be made with any meat. Usually, the dish is prepared with pork along with sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon, and kielbasa. It is simmered for hours to combine all the flavors.

Croatia

Cobanac is a traditional meat stew that originated in Slavonia and Baranja, in eastern Croatia. Traditionally this dish is prepared over an open fire in a large copper pot. The stew slow cooks for several hours.

Cobanac is a combination of different kinds of meat. It can contain veal, beef, or wild game along with many onions and a special blend of sweet and hot ground paprika which give the stew its vibrant color.

Hungary

Pörkölt is the national stew of Hungary. Its name derives from the word porkolni, meaning to roast or singe. The stew is a combination of meat like beef, lamb, pork, or chicken that has been simmered in a red sauce with a lot of onions, garlic, and paprika powder.

Traditionally porkolt is served with dumplings, boiled potatoes, or pasta. It is recommended to enjoy this stew with a Hungarian fruit brandy.

Romania

Ghiveci is one of the most popular traditional Romanian dishes. The thick vegetable stew is prepared all year round and divided into two seasonal variants - a hearty version for winter and a lighter version for summer.

In the wintertime, the stew includes root vegetables like carrots, celery, cauliflower, and cabbage. In the summertime, the stew is prepared with zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers. Standard ingredients are tomatoes or tomato sauce, garlic, and onions.

Greece

Stifado is a hearty Greek one-pot stew that is good to eat in cold weather. The main ingredients are plenty of onions, tomatoes, wine or vinegar and at times garlic.

Depending on the regions added to the stew can be goat, rabbit, wild hare, beef, tripe, snails, or octopus. Some prefer to include mushrooms and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

Italy

Cacciucco is a Tuscan fish stew with a history that dates back at least 500 years. Supposedly it was invented by the frugal fisherman of Livorno who made the stew from whatever fish were left in the bottom of their boats after selling the better fish at the market.

Cacciucco can include various kinds of fish and seafood like octopus, squid, or cuttlefish and towards the end of cooking mussels and prawns can be added.

Spezzatino is an Italian stew that is cooked in a small amount of liquid. It is prepared with less tender cuts of beef, lamb, mutton, or pork, which have connective tissue and cartilage that can break down into a hearty gravy.

The pieces of meat are dusted with flour and fried in butter along with carrots, onions, celery, pancetta, and white wine. The ingredients are cooked slowly until they are all covered in a dense sauce. Variations of spezzatino include potatoes or tomatoes. The name of the stew derives from the world spezzettare, meaning to cut into smaller pieces.

Spain

Rabo de toro is a traditional Spanish dish that originated in the Andalusia region. The stew is prepared with oxtail, olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, paprika, tomatoes, red wine, dry sherry, bay leaves, and parsley.

The slow-braised stew is usually served with fried potatoes. It is believed that rabo de toro dates back to Roman times when the bull would be killed at a bullfight and the tail would be braised to be enjoyed in celebration.

Marmitako is part of the Basque country cuisine. It is a tuna stew prepared with potatoes, tomatoes, chilli, and onions. The name of the stew is derived from the Basque word marmita, meaning a pot or a casserole. Today there can be variations on the kind of fish used for the stew.

Portugal

Caldeirada is a traditional Portuguese seafood stew. The stew can be prepared with various kinds of fish, shellfish, or squid and octopus.

Caldeirada is a combination of onions, white wine, olive oil, and tomatoes. All of the ingredients are heavily seasoned with herbs and spices like saffron and nutmeg. Today this stew is a national specialty that is served with slices of crispy toasted bread.

Turkey

Hünkar beğendi is a traditional Turkish lamb stew that is served on top of a creamy roasted eggplant puree. The eggplant puree is thickened with milk and cheese. The whole dish is sometimes topped with a tomato based sauce and garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Asia

Japan

Chankonabe is a rich stew that is a combination of dashi, sake, chicken or fish, and vegetables like daikon and bok choy. There is no specific recipe but usually, the dish contains ingredients that are full of protein.

The stew can be served with rice, beer, and side dishes like fried chicken and shrimp dumplings. Chankonabe goes back to the late 19th century when cooks from Niigata began to prepare meals for sumo wrestlers. It is the main course of a sumo meal.

Singapore

Fish head curry is a specialty dish in Singapore, It is prepared with fish heads, coconut cream, tomatoes, and seasonings like curry leaves, garlic, chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and tamarind. It is served with bread or rice.

Thailand

Phanaeng curry has a thick texture and a salty-sweet peanut flavor. The curry is a combination of meat stewed with dried chillis, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, and peanuts.

The meat used is usually beef, chicken, or duck and phanaeng curry traditionally doesn't include any vegetables. The name of this curry derives from the world panang, meaning cross. This refers to the ancient way chicken was prepared with its legs crossed and in an upright position.

India

Dal tadka or tadkewali dal is a traditional lentil-based dish that originated from northern India, It is usually prepared with toor dal or split yellow pigeon peas, garlic, ginger, onions, tomatoes, garam masala, chilli peppers, ghee, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder, and fenugreek leaves.

The ingredients are combined and cooked with a mix of tadka that consists of spices like asafoetida, chilli peppers, and garlic. When ready dal tadka is garnished with coriander leaves and served hot with jeera rice and roti.

Saag paneer is a well-known Indian vegetable curry that is a mix of diced paneer cheese doused in a creamy mix of fresh leafy greens. It is usually prepared with mustard greens, fenugreek, spinach, bathua or collard greens. Tomatoes are mashed and added to the curry.

Saag paneer is thought to have originated in the Punjabi region.

Vietnam

Bò kho is a popular Vietnamese beef stew that is eaten on its own or accompanies by a baguette. It can also be served over noodles and it is customary to have a variety of fresh herbs on the side. The dish is a combination of diced beef, carrots, lemongrass, cinnamon, chilli, pepper, garlic, and shallots simmered to make a spicy and aromatic broth.

Bo kho is made spicier in urban areas. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast and garnished with chopped green onions, coriander and onions.

South Korea

Kimchi jjigae is a flavorful Korean stew with kimchi as the main ingredient, The stew is prepared with diced tofu, pork, or seafood, scallions and vegetables like potatoes or zucchini. It is one of the most common dishes enjoyed in South Korea and is traditionally served piping hot and as a communal meal.

The stew is best prepared with older kimchi which gives more flavor to the dish. It is usually served with rice.

Phillippines

Dinuguan is a Filipino stew that is prepared with a variety of animal internal organs and stewed with blood, vinegar, garlic, and hot peppers. Traditionally it was made with the byproducts of a pig slaughter. However, there are not many regional variations and the stew can be made with beef or chicken along with a variety of spices.

Dinuguan is a thick, flavorful stew that is served with rice or rice cakes. It can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a hearty lunch or dinner.

Malaysia

Kari ayam is a chicken curry that is popular in Malaysia and Indonesia. The curry is prepared with pieces of chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, ghee, tomatoes, coconut milk, and spices like anise, cinnamon, curry leaves, pandan leaves, lemongrass, chillies, cumin, turmeric, and fennel.

Kari ayam is traditionally made in a clay pot so the curry can cook in its own juices. Before serving it is sprinkled with lime juice and garnished with fresh coriander. It can be served with rice.

Africa

Ethiopia

Wat is the national dish of Ethiopia. It is a spicy stew prepared with berbere - a spice blend consisting of hot chilli peppers, garlic, ginger, rue, basil, ajwain, nigella, and fenugreek. These are ground together with a pestle in a mortar.

Wat is prepared with beef, chicken, lamb, lentils, vegetables, or fish.

South Africa

Bunny chow is a South African dish that is prepared with a half or quarter loaf of bread, hollowed out and stuffed with curry prepared with kidney beans and meat like mutton, chicken, or lamb. Traditionally it is eaten without utensils.

Bunny chow originated in the city of Durban and its origin came from Indian immigrants in the late 19th century, It has also become popular in the UK.

South America

Brazil

Mocotó is a popular Brazilian stew that is prepared with cow's feet, beans and various vegetables. It is especially popular in the northeastern and southern parts of Brazil. It is a great winter stew and is part of Portuguese culinary heritage.

Argentina

Locro is a thick stew that originated in South America before the Spanish conquistadors came. The dish is a combination of pork or beef cuts and some variations can include sausages and smoked bacon, Other ingredients are dry corn kernels or hominy, different spices, and vegetables like pumpkin, potatoes, and yams.

Peru

Chupe de camarones is a popular Peruvian shrimp chowder. It is usually prepared with fish stock, fresh shrimp, onions, eggs, milk, cheese, garlic, and yellow potatoes. Some variations can be made with rice, beans, carrots, and peas.

It is usually served in deep bowls and garnished with parsley. It was first prepared before the 16th century.

Colombia

Sancocho is a Colombian chicken stew that can be prepared with fish, plantain, beef, or pork. Originally it comes from the El Valle region where it was prepared with hens. It is a hearty stew that includes potatoes, corn and plantains.

Traditionally, it is served with white rice, spicy aji sauce and avocado slices. The thick broth makes the stew flavorable and it is garnished with fresh coriander, onions, and a sprinkle of lime juice,