20 slow-cooked winter dishes to spice up the whole house

The praise of slowness

As Danièle Gerkens, editorial director of ELLE à Table, writes so well: “Simmer, simmer, steam, boil, braise, infuse, simmer… By the fireside or on the fire, it’s on a very low heat that we like to spend the winter.

From Henri IV’s famous chicken au pot to the traditional pot-au-feu, via Alsatian sauerkraut, French cuisine is full of these comforting recipes which combine creamy sauce, multiple flavors and long cooking, summarizing what has long characterized the home: a warmth, a scent, a flavor.

Between soaring food prices and exploding energy costs, many French people are reconnecting with wood for heating and with old-fashioned recipes, synonymous with savings and common sense. The fruit of a long history, made of lack, creativity and tricks, they highlight pieces and products considered less noble: root vegetables, potatoes, pieces of meat from the front end requiring cooking. long over low heat… Whether made in a cast iron pan or in a pressure cooker (which cuts cooking times in half), these recipes that can be cooked in XXL format are making a resounding comeback. »

The art of simmering

We are too often rushed by our various obligations, both professionally and logistically, that we forget to press pause. In this way, stews bring us back to dishes for which we must give time. Time for the meat to braise; with caramelizing juices; in the sauce to reduce; with the aromas infusing… And this time, far from being wasted, allows the best to come out of the chosen piece, whether it be beef, chicken, or vegetables. And don’t think that only saltiness reigns in the realm of stews, desserts too, like Norman teurgoule, need time to reach just the right cooking.

The second life of winter stews

First advantage of a slow-cooked winter dish: volume. In fact, we rarely cook a stew that requires 3 hours of cooking for a single meal for one person. So we lengthen the doses, to prolong the pleasure. Second advantage: reheating, even better than the first time. Third advantage: transformation. Meat cooked for a long time like a Burgundy can be made into a gourmet winter shepherd’s pie. The proof in the recipe with this oxtail shepherd’s mince which can be cooked in two stages. But you can also imagine this recipe with leftovers. Same idea with lasagna which will welcome all slow-cooked products with open arms!

The last strong point of the stew is the aroma. Surreptitiously, it comes out of the oven or the fire, and invades the atmosphere with familiar, family, regressive, or yet-to-be-discovered flavors. Without noise, it tickles the nostrils. Without noise, it awakens our taste buds. Without noise, it invites young and old to sit down and reconnect with the pleasure of a casserole placed on the table. Without noise, he unites. Without noise, it seduces.

Without further ado because they don’t require any, here are 20 stews to enjoy all winter long.