Three hearty stews for those cold dark nights

Winter is almost upon us.
The nights are longer, the days are shorter, and the temperature is dropping.
And although it might be a while until we’re having barbies on the beach again, these darker nights give us the chance to cuddle up in front of the fire with a delicious bowl of homemade stew.
Here are three recipes to try in the coming months.

Fig Lamb Stew (Slow cooker)

The great thing about hearty stews is, that you can make a lot of them, so there are always leftovers for lunch the next day. This deliciously slow-cooked lamb stew has gorgeous figs for sweetness and butter beans for extra protein. Delightful!

Hearty lamb stew

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Avocado Cooking Oil
  • 1 Butterflied Lamb Leg (approx. 1.2kg), trimmed and cut into 3cm cubes
  • 3 Onions, diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes 400gm
  • 1 ½ cups Tomato Passata
  • 1 ½ cups Red wine
  • 1 ½ cups Chicken stock
  • 4 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 bag (200g) Figs
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 2 tbsp Lemon zest, grated
  • 2 Cinnamon quills
  • 2 Cans Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve [optional]

  • Crusty white bread

Method

Add oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat and sear the lamb in batches. Set aside. Add onions and garlic to the frying pan and fry until soft, about 7 minutes.

Add all stew ingredients (except butter beans) to a slow cooker. Stir and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until the lamb is beautifully tender. When the stew is almost done add the butter beans and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Remove bay leaves and cinnamon quills before serving with hot buttered crusty bread (optional).

Feijoada – Brazilian Black Bean and Meat Stew

Considered the national dish of Brazil, Feijoada is a stew of beans with beef and pork. It’s widely eaten in the Portuguese world, but Brazilians bring it to the next level with spicy and smoky sausages and black beans!

Fiijodia Stew

Ingredients

  • 500 g Pork pork leg, cut into chunks
  • 500 g beef brisket, cut into chunks
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 tbsp Avocado Cooking Oil
  • 100g free-range streaky bacon, sliced
  • 3 chorizo sausages, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 orange, juice and zest
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Can chopped tomatoes 400gm
  • 1 ½ cups beef stock
  • 1 Can black beans, drained [400gm]
  • A handful of coriander

To serve

  • 2 mini capsicums, sliced
  • 1 orange, cut into quarters
  • coriander leaves
  • Cooked white rice

Method

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the pork and beef all over and transfer to the slow cooker pot.

In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic until translucent. Place in the slow cooker pot over meat.

Add bacon, chorizo, chilli, orange juice and zest, vinegar, tomatoes, bay leaves and stock into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 4–5 hours.

Mix black beans in the pot and season to taste. Cook for a further 30 minutes–1 hour.

Serve over steamed white rice garnished with coriander. Squeeze orange over the top just before eating.

Peruvian Creamy Chicken Stew (Aji De Gallina)

Ají de Gallina (Spanish for chilli pepper chicken) is a traditional Peruvian dish which has its roots in the social upheaval of the French Revolution in 1789.

Chefs working for wealthy families lost their jobs after French aristocrats were imprisoned and executed. Some of these chefs travelled to the New World, including Peru, bringing with them French culinary expertise. Wealthy Peruvian creole families hired them to demonstrate their wealth to the ruling Spaniards.

Considered a popular Peruvian comfort food, this recipe is a spicy and creamy chicken stew thickened by nuts and bread. Enjoy!

chili pepper chicken stew

Ingredients

  • 2 Chicken Breast Fillets
  • 3 cups Chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp Avocado cooking oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 Garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp Ground cumin
  • ½ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tbsp Aji amarillo chilli paste*, or fresh chilli paste
  • 4 slices of bread, crusts removed
  • 50 g Californian Walnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup Grated parmesan cheese
  • 2/3 cup Evaporated milk
  • Salt and pepper

To serve

  • 4 Free Range Eggs, hard-boiled
  • 1/3 cup Green olives

Method

Poach the chicken in the stock for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken when cool enough to handle.

In a pot, heat the oil and sauté onion & garlic until transcurrent. Add spices and chilli paste.

Place the bread and the reserved chicken liquid in a blender and blend until smooth. Add to the onion mix and cook over low heat stirring for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the shredded chicken, chopped walnuts and parmesan, then continue cooking until the stew becomes thick & creamy. Just before serving, stir through evaporated milk and season.

Serve garnished with boiled eggs and green olives.

NOTE: *Aji Amarillo Paste is a Peruvian yellow chilli paste. Aji Amarillo Chilli has fruity flavour and milder heat. You can substitute with fresh chilli paste if you cannot find it.

A hearty stew to keep you warm this winter!

So there you have it! Three delicious recipes for hearty stews, all different and all just as special in their own way.

Let us know how you got on trying these by visiting us over on our Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages, and don’t forget, if you’ve any questions about Olivado or our award-winning oils, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Find Stockist
Find an online or in-store stockist near you to purchase Olivado oils.

Sustainability

Olivado are leading the way in the avocado industry with our approach to regeneration, sustainability and utilising all waste to energy. We work hard to leave our communities and environment in a better state than when we started. We are carbon neutral now and we have made a commitment to be carbon positive by 2022. Shop with us and do your part for the planet.