Stews

Stew, at its most basic, combines vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, beans, and mushrooms, with meat—think beef or chicken—in cooking liquid, which can be stock, water, or a mixture thereof. The pot is covered and simmered for a long time to coax the rich flavors from the vegetables, create fall-apart meat, and reduce and thicken the stock until it’s rich and hearty. To add depth of flavor, choose sturdy herbs like bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano, or sage. These are well-suited to hold up and marry into the stew as it does its long, slow simmer.