The last leaves have fallen. Winter is here to stay. With the impending snow, furnaces come on, fireplaces are lit, and warming blankets lay across the couch. This year the gloom of winter will be enhanced as we will be more isolated than ever. While we might not entertain on weekends as in the past, Sundays for me will still be days to bring comforting smells to my kitchen.
Braised foods not only fill our homes with warming scents but there is something comforting about a bowl of stew. Bonus: a one-pot meal can be easy to make and generally tastes better the days after it is made. One pot can become a week’s worth of comfort.
Rhone reds: stew’s savoury companion
If I had to choose a good wine to accompany stew, it would almost certainly be a Rhône (France) red. The classics hail from the sun-soaked Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south and from the rugged slopes in the far north of the Rhone Valley. While the small wine producing communes of Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, in the Northern Rhône, boast a certain lore amongst wine lovers, few of us can afford them. Thankfully, the grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) grow happily throughout Southern France, even in some more affordable addresses such as Corbieres and Minervois in the Languedoc, where Syrah plays a prominent role but is often also seasoned with other grapes such as Cinsault and Carignan.
The results range from fruity styles to some truly unique peppery, spicy, dark fruit and mineral scented gems that, for me, are the perfect wines for a night in with a bowl of stew, a pot of Cassoulet (a southern French bean, sausage, and duck stew) and all sorts of braised meats.
- St. Cosme Cotes du Rhône (Bishops Cellar, $25.01, )
- Guigal Cotes du Rhône Rouge (NSLC, $25.99, NLC, $26.98)
- Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhône (NSLC, $17.78, PEILCC, $17.59, NLC, $19.75)
- Gerard Betrand Corbieres (NSLC, $19.99, NLC, $19.98)
Beef daube
4 to 6 Servings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb stewing beef
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Cotes du Rhone Rouge
- 2 tbsp brand
- 2 carrots, peeled, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- 1 sprig thyme
- Pink peppercorns, freshly ground, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Set Dutch oven over medium-heat. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, dust beef with flour and season with salt and pepper. Sear beef until browned on all sides. Remove beef and set aside. Lower heat to medium-low. Add onion and butter. Sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add red wine and brandy. Use a wooden spoon to scrape bottom of Dutch oven to release browned bits. Add carrots, bay leaf, tomatoes, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover and place in oven. Roast for 2 hours. Season with salt and freshly ground pink peppercorns.
Easy duck-less cassoulet
4 to 6 Servings
- 4 country-style sausages
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 strips smoked bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 19-oz can white kidney beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 19-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Place a deep heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat. Cook sausages until browned on all sides. Remove sausages from the pan and allow to cool and then slice into ¼-inch thick medallions. Add the onion and chopped bacon to the pot and sauté until the bacon is crispy. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Return sausage to pot. Add the beans, tomatoes, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.
Mark DeWolf is a connoisseur of all things food and drink. He's a creative director with SaltWire and local fare is his specialty. You can subscribe to his Follow a Foodie newsletter here.
