Perpetual stew

A Cantabrian version of perpetual stew

A perpetual stew is a pot into which whatever one can find is placed and cooked. The pot is never emptied all the way, as ingredients are replenished as necessary. The concept is often a common element in descriptions of medieval inns. Perpetual stew can also be called a “hunter’s stew”.

Examples

Medieval cooking:

bread, water or ale, and a companaticum ('that which goes with the bread') from the cauldron, the original stockpot or pot-au-feu that provided an ever-changing broth enriched daily with whatever was available. The cauldron was rarely emptied out except in preparation for the meatless weeks of Lent, so that while a hare, hen or pigeon would give it a fine, meaty flavour, the taste of salted pork or cabbage would linger for days, even weeks.

Tannahill

References

• Food in History, by Reay Tannahill. New York : Crown Publishers, 1989. 424 p. ISBN 0517571862

See also

• Bigos
• Master stock
• Slow cooker
• Stone soup