Perpetual stew
 A Cantabrian version of perpetual stew | |
| Alternative names | Hunter's pot, hunter’s stew |
|---|---|
| Type | Stew |
A perpetual stew, also known as hunter's pot[1][2] or hunter's stew, is a pot into which whatever one can find is placed and cooked. The pot is never or rarely emptied all the way, and ingredients and liquid are replenished as necessary.[1][3] The concept is often a common element in descriptions of medieval inns. Foods prepared in a perpetual stew have been described as being flavorful due to the manner in which the foodstuffs blend together,[4] in which the flavor may improve with age.[5]
Examples
Perpetual stews were common in medieval cooking, often as pottage or pot-au-feu:
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[4]
A perpetual stew was maintained in Perpignan from the 15th century until World War II.[6]
Between August 2014 and April 2015, a New York restaurant served broth from the same perpetual stew (a master stock) for over eight months.[7][8]
Ingredients
Various ingredients can be used in a perpetual stew, such as root vegetables and tubers (onion, carrot, potato, garlic, parsnip, turnip, etc.) and various meats and game meats.[3][5]
In popular culture
William Gibson references a perpetual stew served on the Bridge in his novel Idoru.[9]
See also
- Bigos
- Cocido madrileño
- List of stews
- Master stock
- Olla podrida
- Pot-au-feu
- Potcake dog, a dog breed named for the leftover cake at the bottom of the stew traditionally fed to them
- Potjiekos
- Pottage
- Stone Soup
References
- ^ a b Slabbert, Joan (2005). Bwana Kakuli. Trafford Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN 1412061563.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Sir Percy (1907). Jock of the Bushveld. Longmans, Green and Company. pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b (Associated Press) (May 3, 2013). "Perpetual stew". Times Daily (Florence, Alabama). Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ a b Food in History, by Reay Tannahill. New York : Crown Publishers, 1989. 424 p. ISBN 0-517-57186-2
- ^ a b Henwood, Rodney (2013). Game Ranger. Author House. p. 105. ISBN 1491875690.[self-published source]
- ^ Prager, Arthur (1981). "From, A Pot-Au-Feu, Many Happy Returns". New York Times.
- ^ Kravitz, Melissa (26 January 2015). "It's alive! Chef David Santos' stew never stops evolving at Luoro". AM New York. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ Sterling, Justine (28 January 2015). "Why You Shouldn't Be Terrified of This Never-Ending Stew". Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ https://www.chowhound.com/post/50-year-pot-soup-hong-kong-388730
Further reading
- The Restaurant Serving 40 Year-Old Beef Stew (The Vintage News, 2018)
- The Story Behind Bangkok's Ancient Beef Stew (BK Asia, 2017)
- Why You Shouldn't Be Terrified of This Never-Ending Stew (Food and Wine, 2015)
- The Stew You Brew (and Eat) for Years: Perpetual Stew (HowStuffWorks, 2015)
- Oden: Japanese Stew in a 60 Year Old Broth (Japan Talk, 2014)
- Perpetual Stew (Times Daily, 2012)
- 50-year old pot of soup in Hong Kong? (Chowhound, 2007)
- From, A Pot-Au-Feu, Many Happy Returns (New York Times, 1981)