Never-ending stew

[Graye]

Sorting through some old recipe books I found this one given to me by an old pub landlord in Pembrokeshire many years ago, scribbled on the back of a brown paper bag. I imagine it would only work if you had a pot on a trivet over a fire or on some sort of Aga etc. His was in a big black "witch-style" pot on a hook over an open fire in the main pub room. Goodness knows what current Environmental Health officials would make of this but this was available for sale in the pub, served in a big deep dish with a hunk of bread at 50p a go. It tasted wonderful.

He told me the stew is started with equal parts wine (or beer) and water in a very large heavy pot. Added to this are rough chopped onions and garlic, dried beans and lentils, a handful of chopped herbs, plenty of pepper and salt and some tomato puree. Once this has been allowed to simmer for a couple of hours add chopped potatoes, carrots, swedes and/or turnips. Then add whatever meat you have available (I believe he usually used chicken and rabbit because it was what was available but, as you will see in a minute, anything goes). Cooked meat can just be thrown in but raw meat needs to be browned and sealed in a pan - the meat and fat can be added to the pot once it's done. Any greens you have gone go in at this point too. The stew is not considered ready until 24 hours of slow gently simmering on the fire.

This is the basic stew and every morning he just added what was available, more potatoes or other root crops, cauliflower, beans, cabbage, etc. He also added a pint or more of some sort of alcohol each day, water, more herbs and seasoning and plenty of onions. Then whatever meat (separately browned) he could come by. I suspect there was a fair bit of poaching going on around there at that time so goodness knows what had found it's way in! He reckoned this whole thing improved with age and I must admit the sauce was wonderfully rich and the meat beautifully tender. He reckoned to start a new pot every couple of weeks or so (so it wasn't really never-ending) although he only ever emptied the pot out and wiped it over rather than cleaning it. I have no idea about how long ago this was but bearing in mind I've been a veggie for 30 years it must be a while. It works for veggie stew too.

Has anyone else heard of such a thing, or knows the name of the pub? I remember it was somewhere slightly inland of Broad Haven, on St Brides Bay.

[Milims]

This sounds rather like what my OH calls a 7 day mulligan stew. I've never made it myself - I don't have an aga or an open fire although I do have a cauldron! It sounds very yummy - and from my experience of Env Health I don't think in essence it would be too much of a problem as it is kept going at a hight temp all the time thus killing off any bacteria! Although I think there may be a Health and Safety issue with an open fire and cooking in a public place! lol!

[Green Aura]

Sounds great. I remember my grandmother always had a pot of soup on her Yorkshire Range. Doubt there was any alcohol in it though! She chucked anything she had in it, including the previous nights leftovers.

[MKG]

It's a while since I tasted anything like this, but I can guarantee that it works beautifully.

But note that the stew was restarted every couple of weeks or so. If you don't do that (I was told donkey's years ago) the onions turn sour. I don't know how true that is.

I think that the principle is related to the well-known Isher fact that stews, curries, casseroles etc. etc. etc. always taste better the day after they've been made.