Cooking stews in winter
· 2 min read
I make a double batch and freeze half for busy weeks. I wrote most of this on a quiet Sunday morning. This got going as a quick note and gradually turned into something longer.
Why it matters
It took me two attempts to see the pattern. The result is not perfect, but it is truthful. Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. There is no single right way to approach shopping at the market, but some ways are kinder than others.
Use what is in season and the recipe for the most part writes itself. The best advice I got was just to slow down. A kitchen scale shifted my baking more than any recipe did.
What did not work
Most of the flavour comes from a steady hand rather than ingredients. Somewhere between my grandmother’s kitchen and home, the thought finally made sense. Salt early, taste often, and do not rush the onions. I tested the humble version first. It did not last. It took me four attempts to see the pattern.
Below are a few notes, roughly in the order I found out them. Some of this will be plain; some of it took me years. This is less a primer and more a record of what worked for me. Most of what I know about pastry came from getting it wrong first.
Serve it with good bread and whatever greens look best. The crisp part is rarely the hard part; consistency is. Most of what I know about sourdough came from getting it wrong first. The details matter less than the habit of paying attention.
Before and after
Most problems with seasonal greens turn out to be problems with time. Thanks for reading, and for the generous notes that keep arriving. A friend once described flatbreads as quiet work, and the phrase stuck. I tested the bright version first. It did not last. Good weeknight dinners is for the most part a series of small, unglamorous decisions.
Good flatbreads is for the most part a series of small, unglamorous decisions.
The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not sticky. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. A friend once described pickles as quiet work, and the phrase stuck.
stews