3 flavour-packed stew recipes that will warm you up from the outside in this January

We don’t need to tell you that it’s absolutely freezing right now. And with the first official working week of the year (almost) over, we don’t blame you if your plans for the weekend are to stay firmly inside the comfort of your own home. And apart from a new season of The Traitors to catch up on, the only thing that can make hibernation season more enjoyable is comfort food.

At first thought, a stew may not be the most exciting thing to tuck into, but here to prove that they’re anything but bland is Xavier Bramble and his new book Stews. Proving that the dish can be flavourful, colourful and exciting as well as being the ultimate hearty comfort food, Bramble’s recipes will transport you through France, India, Brazil and more, with the book bursting with over 100 recipes from around the world. So forget boring casseroles and treat yourself to one of these warming stews this weekend.  

Xavier says: “This recipe means a lot to me – it was one of the first stews I learned to make as a student and was one of the early staple recipes of xavskitchen, setting the pace for the stews to come. When I got to uni, my mother gave me a set of chipotle pastes as part of a settling-in parcel, and my experiments with them led me to this. The paste is the secret: it packs such an incredible flavour.”

Method

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken pieces and stir until they are well coated. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 20 minutes, if you have time. If not, you can use it right away.

Heat up a large stew pot on a high heat and add the sunflower oil. Once hot, add all the chicken pieces and sear for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown all over (do this in batches, if necessary). Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and a pinch of salt to the pot. Sauté for 4 minutes, then add the garlic, tomato purée and chipotle paste and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture is catching on parts of the bottom of the pot (this is where the flavour comes in). Deglaze the pot with the white wine and simmer until reduced by half (about 5 minutes), as you scrape off the stuck bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add the passata, chicken stock, oregano, paprika and cumin, bring the liquid to the boil, then add the chicken back in, and cover the pot with the lid. Cook the chicken for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and add both the potatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then add the frozen peas and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the stew is thickened and the peas are hot through. Stir in the chopped coriander just before serving with rice and avocado, and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Serving suggestions

White rice, sliced avocado, lime wedges

Xavier says: “This is a bold and fiery stew from the African country of Mozambique, combining spicy piri piri chilli with tangy lemon to create a colourful circus of flavour. In Portugal, I lived next to the best piri piri spot in Porto, and I practically bathed their famous Frango Assado (roast chicken) in piri piri sauce. Being also a stew-lover, I decided to turn this into a stew. I played around with the flavours and spices, then finally came up with my recipe. Let me tell you, the key is the fresh mint. It really balances everything out to give you an absolutely wonderful bowl of stew!”

Method

Heat a large stew pot on a medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and sear them for 2 minutes on each side, until brown all over (do this in batches, if necessary), then remove them from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and red pepper with a pinch of salt to the pot, and fry for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, soften for a minute, then add the piri piri seasoning and smoked paprika and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add the red pepper paste and tomato purée, then cook for 2 minutes, until the paste and purée turn a dark red colour, but are not burnt. Add the chicken stock, oregano, lemon zest, passata, parsley, mint and piri piri sauce to taste, then season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken back to the pot. Bring the liquid to the boil, cover the pot with the lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and leave the stew to cook for a final 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened. Serve with rice or peri-salted chips, scattered with the extra parsley and mint.

Serving suggestions

White rice, peri-salted chips

Xavier says: “Cajun was one of the first spices I started to use as a student – I chose it for its versatility, knowing that I could use it in multiple dishes and get great results. My favourite option was to use it in a creamy Cajun pasta – my weekly student staple in my fresher year! Now, it underpins this creamy, roux-based stew. You can never get bored of Cajun.”

Method

Pat dry the prawns, then place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the measured salt and 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and mix very well. Set aside while you start the stew.

Heat up a large stew pot on a medium heat and add the oil. Leave the oil to heat a little bit, then add the flour and slowly mix them together to make a roux. Cook on a medium heat for around 15 minutes, stirring very frequently to avoid clumping, until the roux is a dark brown colour, but is not burnt. If the roux burns, start over again, otherwise the stew will taste bitter.

Add the onion, celery and green pepper, stir them into the roux and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, then gradually – a little at a time – mix in the fish stock. Once all the fish stock is in, season with the remaining Cajun, the cayenne pepper and black pepper, then mix well. Taste and season with salt as needed. Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes, until the flavours have incorporated.

Remove the lid and add the seasoned prawns. Cook, uncovered, for 3–5 minutes, or until the prawns are fully cooked through. Serve with rice.

Serving suggestion

White rice

Stews by Xavier Bramble (£26, Ebury) is out now

Photography: Rob Billington