My Simple Cream Stew recipe makes a fast and comforting dinner on a busy weeknight. Right here, I exploit store-bought Japanese cream stew combine for a easy but satisfying one-pot meal with tender rooster thighs and colourful greens.
If you wish to make a fast and scrumptious dinner on a busy weeknight, look no additional than my Simple Cream Stew (クリームシチュー) recipe. Like many house cooks in Japan, I exploit boxed cream stew combine for a fuss-free shortcut that delivers layers of taste. This one-pot recipe is chock stuffed with tender rooster, colourful veggies, and savory mushrooms for a nourishing and comforting meal that your whole household will love.
For those who love Japanese stews, strive my Japanese Hen Curry, Nikujaga, and Hayashi Rice recipes subsequent!
What’s Cream Stew?
Cream stew first debuted in Japan in 1947 when the US authorities started supplying powdered milk to fight youngsters’s malnutrition after World Conflict II. The Japanese used the dry milk to create a yoshoku or Western-style white stew (ホワイトシチュー) with rooster and greens. It quickly grew to become a preferred providing in Japan’s faculty lunches. Within the mid-Sixties, Home Meals launched boxed cream stew combine in order that house cooks might rapidly and simply make this beloved and comforting meal at house.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s so easy: Prepare dinner the substances in a pot and dissolve the creamy roux into the stew. That’s it!
- Silky and light-weight: The creamy béchamel sauce with butter and milk provides richness with out heaviness.
- Simple clear up: This recipe cooks up in only one pot, so there are fewer dishes to clean!
Substances for Simple Cream Stew
- Boxed cream stew combine
- Hen thighs
- Salt and black pepper
- Onion
- Potato – I used Yukon gold
- Carrot
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Oil – for sautéing
- Water
- Milk
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Boxed cream stew combine – The Japanese usually use packaged creamy white sauce roux for comfort. For those who can’t discover it or favor home made, take a look at my Japanese Cream Stew or Immediate Pot Cream Stew recipes for a from-scratch model.
- Hen thighs – Hen is the traditional protein for this dish, and flavorful thighs keep moist and tender. You could possibly substitute breast (with much less cooking time) or skip the meat and add extra mushrooms or greens.
- Potato – I exploit Yukon Gold potatoes for his or her easy, barely waxy, and agency texture. You need to use russets, however their starchy, crumbly texture doesn’t maintain its form effectively.
- Mushrooms – I exploit crimini mushrooms, however white button, shimeji, or maitake work too. I don’t suggest shiitake, as their robust taste overpowers the dish.
- Milk – This provides creaminess to the stew, however you possibly can substitute it with water for those who favor.
The right way to Make Simple Cream Stew
Preparation
Step 1 – Chop the carrot and potato into chunks. Soak the potato chunks in water till prepared to make use of.
Step 2 – Slice the onion and mushrooms. I lower the onion into wedges and the mushrooms into skinny slices.
Step 3 – Prep the broccoli and rooster. Blanch the broccoli items in boiling water and drain. Reduce the rooster thighs into bite-size items and season with salt and pepper.
Cooking
Step 4 – Sauté the substances. In the identical pot, cook dinner the onion and the rooster till not pink. Add the carrot, potato, mushrooms, and water. Convey it to a boil and simmer till tender.
Step 5 – Stir within the creamy roux. Dissolve the roux cubes in a ladleful of scorching broth, then stir it into the stew. Add the milk and simmer to thicken and warmth by, stirring sometimes.
Step 6 – End the cream stew. Add the blanched broccoli to the thickened stew, briefly reheat, then flip off the warmth.
Assemble
Step 7 – Plate and serve. Portion scorching Japanese rice on one half of a person bowl or plate, then ladle on the cream stew. Alternatively, it’s scrumptious served with crusty bread.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Fully dissolve the roux cubes – I put one or two cubes in a ladleful of scorching cooking liquid and stir it with chopsticks to dissolve totally. Then, I launch the béchamel sauce to the stew. For those who add the cubes on to the pot, you may find yourself with chunks of undissolved roux.
- Don’t overcook the potato – Set a timer as a result of the potato can simply overcook. As soon as boiling, simmer the stew for 10 minutes. A skewer ought to simply pierce the tender potato. If cooked too lengthy, the potato will break simply and collapse.
- Add the blanched broccoli on the finish – It will assist retain the gorgeous inexperienced colour and maintain it from overcooking.
Variations and Customizations
Japanese cream stew is very customizable together with your favourite substances or what you’ve within the fridge. Beneath are my favourite recommendations.
- Use pork or seafood. Skinny slices of pork are a standard substitute for the rooster. Shrimp or a seafood combination additionally work superbly.
- Add candy corn. Corn kernels add a beautiful candy style, crisp texture, and shiny colour.
- Make it further creamy. Swap heavy cream for the milk for extra richness and silkiness.
- Attempt different greens. As a substitute of broccoli, you may swap inexperienced peas, blanched inexperienced beans, snap peas, or snow peas. Kabocha squash is one other widespread addition.
- Skip the protein. Add extra mushrooms or hearty greens instead of the rooster.
- Make rice gratin. Repurpose the leftovers to make doria (ドリア), a comforting Japanese rice casserole. Easy ladle the white stew over a mattress of steamed rice, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella or your favourite cheese, then broil it within the oven till melty and golden brown on prime. See how in my Seafood Doria and Curry Doria recipes.
What to Serve with Cream Stew
Japanese cream stew with a aspect of crusty French bread is an entire meal by itself. You could possibly additionally serve it with dishes that I like to recommend under.
Storage and Reheating Ideas
To retailer: Switch the leftovers to an hermetic container and maintain it within the fridge for as much as 2 days. For those who plan to freeze it, take away the potatoes (their texture will change) and freeze for as much as a month.
Steadily Requested Questions
Sure, you possibly can! In truth, you possibly can enhance the flavour by letting it relaxation after it’s cooked. I extremely encourage you to let the stew sit, uncovered, on the range or countertop and funky to room temperature. The stew will naturally thicken because the moisture evaporates and the flavors will meld because the stew cools. You may reheat it once more to serve, or retailer it within the fridge to serve over the subsequent day or two.
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To Put together the Greens and Hen
To Add the Roux
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Pierce a potato with a bamboo skewer to see if it goes in simply. If it does, flip off the warmth and add 4 cubes Japanese Cream Stew Combine. Add 1–2 roux cubes to a ladleful of scorching broth, combine it with chopsticks to dissolve fully, and stir it in to the inventory. Repeat with the remaining roux cubes.
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Activate the warmth once more and add ⅓ cup milk. Stir and cook dinner for an additional 5 minutes.
To Retailer
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You may retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container and maintain it within the fridge for as much as 2 days. For those who plan to freeze it, take away the potatoes (their texture will change) and freeze for as much as a month.
