Follow these three tips to create perfect pot of stew

S tewing is the quintessential one-pot meal.

The slow, gentle cooking produces dishes with tender, melting textures and big, bold flavors, a warm and comforting contrast to chilly autumn temperatures.

To get the most flavor from your stews, follow three basic guidelines.

First, choose assertive, flavorful ingredients.

For meats, this can mean well-exercised cuts, such as leg of lamb, beef shoulder or shank, or poultry leg or thigh meat. The slow, moderate cooking of a stew breaks down these sometimes tough cuts into tender bites.

Second, keep it slow.

“Never cook it at a hard boil,” said Lynne Gigliotti, an instructor at The Culinary Institute of America. “Cooking the ingredients hard and fast produces disappointing results, such as tough meat and undercooked vegetables.

“It is best to maintain a mild cooking speed in order to tenderize the meat, cook the ingredients fully and extract as much flavor as possible. One option for many stews is to finish the cooking in the oven.”

Finally, flavor, season and garnish judiciously.

One benefit of slow cooking is that ingredients are easily added throughout the preparation. For example, already cooked foods, such as beans, rice and some meats, should be added during the final minutes, giving them just enough time to reheat.

And because stew flavors deepen as the dish cooks, seasonings should be added a bit at a time throughout. This offers more control over the finished dish. Waiting until the end could leave too little time for the flavors to develop.

This recipe for rich and hearty lamb and pumpkin couscous from The Culinary Institute of America cooks at a low simmer and delivers a diverse mix of flavors and textures. The recipe is from the college’s “One Dish Meals” cookbook ($35).

1/4cup olive oil, or as needed

2cups small-diced yellow onion

13-pound boneless lamb leg, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2teaspoons ground ginger

1teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed

8cups chicken broth, or more as needed

3cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained

2cups large-diced pumpkin or Hubbard squash

1cup large-diced carrots

1cup large-diced purple-top turnips or fingerling potatoes

2cups couscous

Hoshaf, to taste (recipe follows)

1/2cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Generously season the lamb with salt and pepper and add it to the onion. Continue to saute, stirring frequently, until the lamb and the onions are browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the ginger, turmeric and saffron and continue to saute until they have a toasted aroma, about 1 minute. Add enough broth to cover the lamb. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover the Dutch oven.

Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the lamb is nearly tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chickpeas, pumpkin, carrots and turnips or potatoes and continue simmering until the lamb and vegetables are very tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, prepare couscous according to package directions.

Before serving, season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve stew over couscous on heated plates, topped with Hoshaf and chopped cilantro.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 770 cal., 48 g pro., 62 g carbo., 36 g fat, 520 mg sodium, 110 mg chol., 8 g fiber.

Hoshaf

24medium dried apricots (about a 6-ounce package), coarsely chopped

6cups water

3/4cup sugar

Soak the apricots in the water overnight. The next day, transfer the apricots and their soaking liquid to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.

Add the sugar, stirring slowly until dissolved, then return to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Makes 1/2 cup. Per ounce: 90 cal., 0 g pro., 23 g carbo., 0 g fat, 0 mg sodium, 0 mg chol., 2 g fiber.