Importance Score: 20 / 100 🔵
Hearty Spring Stew Recipe: A Seasonal Update on a Classic Comfort Food
Stew, a beloved staple in wintertime cuisine, is often associated with robust meats and dense root vegetables, perfect for warming dinners. However, with adaptable recipes, stew can transition into a delightful dish for any season, even in warmer climates. Simple ingredient adjustments, like choosing seasonal vegetables and substituting rich beef for lighter proteins, can transform this classic into a lighter, fresher meal. This spring-inspired recipe, featuring chicken, bacon, and pearl barley, alongside vibrant seasonal vegetables, is an ideal way to enjoy stew all year round.
Jamie Oliver’s Spring Chicken and Vegetable Stew
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver recently shared his favored spring stew recipe online, highlighting a combination of chicken, bacon, and pearl barley, enriched with “loads of lovely veg.” He emphasized the nutritional benefits of pearl barley, noting, “Humble pearl barley – a fantastic store-cupboard essential – is a valuable source of several key vitamins and minerals, notably manganese, which is crucial for maintaining healthy bones.”
Preparation Method
Ingredients and Equipment
To prepare this recipe, you will need a large casserole dish, ideally equipped with a lid. Begin by adding one tablespoon of olive oil to the dish and placing it over medium heat on the stovetop.
Sautéing Bacon and Rosemary
Thinly slice two strips of smoked streaky bacon and introduce them to the heated dish. Next, strip the leaves from two sprigs of fresh rosemary and incorporate them with the bacon. Allow the mixture to cook, stirring periodically, until the bacon achieves a golden hue.
Preparing and Adding Vegetables
Concurrently, commence preparing your vegetables. Aim to chop all vegetables to a roughly uniform size—approximately 2cm—incorporating each vegetable into the pan as you proceed with chopping. Once prepared, introduce the onions first, followed by the carrots and potatoes, reserving the remaining vegetables for later inclusion.
Incorporating Pearl Barley
Stir in 100g of pearl barley and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the barley begins to soften. Ensure that the vegetables and barley do not become overly browned, stirring frequently throughout this process.
Creating the Stew Base
Add one heaped tablespoon of plain wholemeal flour and thoroughly combine it with the mixture. Gradually pour in 500ml of chicken stock and 500ml of semi-skimmed milk, stirring continuously to ensure a smooth consistency.
Adding Courgette and Chicken
Allow the stew to simmer for 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables. Trim and quarter two courgettes lengthwise. Trim the tough ends from one bunch of asparagus (350g), and trim only the stalk end from 200g of green beans, then chop all these vegetables into 2cm pieces.
Dice four 120g chicken breasts into 2cm chunks, mirroring the vegetable size. Then, stir the chicken and prepared courgettes into the simmering stew.
Simmering and Finishing
Cover the casserole dish with a crumpled sheet of wet greaseproof paper and allow the stew to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Give the stew a thorough stir, then introduce the asparagus and green beans. Replace the greaseproof paper and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, or until the stew has thickened and the ingredients are fully cooked. Stir occasionally during this phase.
Final Touches and Serving
Finally, stir in one tablespoon of mint sauce to the stew and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed to achieve perfect flavor. Serve the stew hot, directly from the casserole dish.