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Susan Jung

Text Susan Jung / Photography Jonathan Wong / Styling Nellie Ming Lee
The word "stew" brings to mind slow-cooked, heavy, wintery dishes that keep you full when it's cold outside. But it doesn't have to be that way - stews can be light yet flavourful and don't need to simmer on the stove for hours.
The key to quick stews is choosing the right ingredients, such as tender cuts of meat that need just a short time to cook.
Lamb stew with apricots (pictured)
This dish takes less than 90 minutes to cook because lamb shoulder is tender. To make the dish lighter and more summery, add vegetables, such as young carrots (add them about 15 minutes before the stew is ready) or petits pois (they need only a few minutes to cook). If you want a one-dish meal, add small potatoes (such as fingerlings or ratte) at the same time you're putting the apricots into the pot; if you do this, you won't need to serve the stew with couscous or mashed potatoes.
1kg boneless lamb shoulder
1 large onion, about 200 grams
3 large garlic cloves
About 20 grams fresh ginger
1 or 2 dried red chillies (optional)
About 150ml chicken stock, preferably home-made
250 grams dried apricots, preferably unsulphured
Oil, as needed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Couscous or mashed potatoes
Cut the lamb into 2.5cm chunks, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Cut the onion in half then into slices about 3mm thick. Thinly slice the garlic. Peel the ginger then finely grate it.
Heat about 30ml of oil in a deep enamelled cast-iron pot set over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, brown the meat in batches, adding oil as needed. After browning all the meat, put it into a bowl.
There should be about 30ml of oil in the pan (if there's too much, pour it out, if there's not enough, add some more) and heat over a low flame. Add the onion and garlic, season lightly with salt, then cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the ginger and chilli and stir for about 30 seconds.
Put the lamb pieces back into the pan, add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan with the lid and simmer for about 15 minutes. Put the apricots in the pot, arranging them so they're submerged in the liquid.
After about 15 minutes, taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the lamb is tender. Serve with couscous or mashed potatoes.
Chicken stew with chorizo and onions
1 fresh chicken (about 2kg), or four whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks)
Plain (all-purpose) flour
Cooking oil, as needed
2 medium onions, halved
2 large garlic cloves
225 grams chorizo
200ml dry white wine
250ml unsalted chicken stock, preferably home-made
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Couscous or mashed potatoes
If using a whole chicken, cut it into nine pieces: two drumsticks, two thighs, two breasts (preferably on the bone), two wings (drumette and middle portion attached at the joint) and lower back (the part with the tail). Save the upper back, wing tips, feet and neck for other use (such as making chicken stock); discard the head.
If using chicken legs, separate them at the joint into thighs and drumsticks. Halve the onions then slice them about 3mm thick. Halve the garlic cloves then thinly slice them. Cut the chorizo into 4mm-thick pieces.
Heat about 45ml of oil in a skillet and heat it over a medium flame. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess. When the oil is hot, put the chicken pieces into the skillet and brown them well. Brown the chicken in batches, adding oil to the skillet as needed. Drain the chicken on paper towels.
Over a medium flame, heat a pan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. When the pan is hot, add the chorizo slices (no need to use oil) and brown them on both sides. Remove the chorizo slices from the pan, leaving behind the fat. Add enough oil to the pan so there's about 30ml of fat in total.
Heat the pan over a medium-low flame, add the onion and garlic and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and pale golden, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to high, add the white wine and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put the chicken and chorizo back into the pan, stir in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover the pan with the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Remove the chicken from the pan and put it onto a heated serving dish. Increase the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid reduces to a very light sauce consistency.
Taste the seasonings and adjust as needed, then add the sauce and onion over the chicken before serving with couscous or mashed potatoes.
 


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Chicken stew and lamb stew recipes that are quick and easy to make

Lamb stew with apricots

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Stews typically need a long simmer, but some quick and easy versions can be just as delicious.


Lamb stew with apricots takes less than 90 minutes to cook and chicken stew with chorizo and onions less than an hour. Not only that - these dishes are light and flavourful, not heavy and wintery. 


Chicken stew and lamb stew recipes that are quick and easy to make

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Stews typically need a long simmer, but some quick and easy versions can be just as delicious.

Stews typically need a long simmer, but some quick and easy versions can be just as delicious.