Stewing: meat and vegetables are usually seared in hot oil/fat then placed in a saucepan and covered with liquid (water or stock). The liquid is brought to the boil, then turned down to a low simmer. A lid is placed on the pan and the food is
left to cook slowly on the hob.
Casseroling: this is the same process as cooking a stew, but in the oven. The term ‘casserole’ refers to both the cooking pot and the finished dish.
Casserole pans are usually deep and oven proof with handles and tight-fitting lids. They can be made of
glass, metal, ceramic or any other heatproof material. Casserole ingredients may also include pulses and rice. A topping of cheese or breadcrumbs may also be added for texture and flavour.
The liquid for the stew should relate to the type of food you are cooking.
1)For fruit, the liquid is usually fruit juice or syrup.
2)For vegetables, use vegetable stock.
3)For meat, chicken and fish use meat, chicken and
fish stock, respectively.
4)Wine or sherry may be added to the liquid for flavour, especially when stewing red meat.

Method
The stewing liquid can be thickened:
1)by adding a thickening agent, such as flour, before cooking begins (for example, in blanquette)
2)by adding a thickening agent later in the cooking process (for example, beurre manié, i.e. equal quantities of butter and flour kneaded together and added in small amounts)
3)as a result of the cooking process reducing the liquid (for example, brown stew)

4)as a result of the unpassed ingredients of the stew (such as potatoes in Irish stew). However, stews should not be over-thickened and the sauce should stay light. Adjust the consistency at the end of cooking if necessary by adding more liquid
or more thickening agent.
Good stews are cooked slowly, so it is important to control the temperature properly. The liquid should barely simmer (approximately 82°C). If cooking in the oven, the ideal temperature is 170°C. Cooking too fast
or too hot will make the food tough, dry or stringy.
Use a tight-fitting lid to keep in the steam. This helps to keep the temperature correct and reduces
evaporation.
Do not overcook stews as this:
a. causes too much liquid to evaporate
b. causes the food to break up
c. causes the food to lose its colour
b. spoils the flavour.
Expensive, tender cuts of meat are not suitable for a stew: the meat will become dry in the long cooking
procesS.

Health and safety
1)O Place large pots of stew on the stove top carefully, to avoid splashing or spilling the liquid.
2)Take care when stirring a stew/casserole to avoid the risk of burns and scalds.
3)Lift the lid of the cooking pan away from you to avoid burns from the steam.
4)If you are using Bratt pans, be very careful when stirring the large quantity of hot, semi-liquid food.