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Traveler's Stew
“This earthy, slow-cooked concoction consisting of beef (or rothé), carrots, potatoes, and onions in a dark beef-infused broth is served in eating establishments everywhere, from the Green Dragon Inn and the Yawning Portal to Ellfate’s Eatery and the Inn of the Last Home.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 7
The first recipe in Heroes' Feast and certainly deserving of it! Traveler’s Stew makes for a hearty lunch or dinner capable of being customised based on which stout or dark beer you chose.
I’ve tried it with a couple different beers now and so far the almost chocolaty Cowbell Brewing Co. Draught Nitro Stout has been my favourite. Its flavour adds extra depth and richness to the broth without altering how you’d expect a stew to taste too much. Experiment on your own to get the flavour you like best!
The biggest difference between this stew and most that I've had in the past is the broth is much more watery. Personally, I liked the change, but if you prefer a thicker consistency, mash up a couple of the cooked potato chunks and stir them in - the starch will thicken it up.
See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast
Prep: 10 mins* Cook: 2h 50 mins Total: 3 hours
* Cut down on prep time by chopping up the vegetables while the beef simmers.
Ingredients:
¼ cup (~30 g) all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ lbs. (1.35 kg) beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch (~2.5 cm) pieces
1 tbsp. (15 ml) vegetable oil, plus more as needed*
1 cup (~240 ml) dark beer**
4 cups (~945 ml) low-sodium beef broth***
1 tsp. (2 g) sweet paprika
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (~1 cm) rounds
3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (~2.5 cm) pieces
¼ cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley
* I was out of vegetable oil and substituted extra virgin olive oil - no noticeable change in taste
** The dark beer pictured is not the chocolaty stout mentioned and recommended in the intro. The Waterloo Dark will add a licorice-like taste to the broth of your stew.
*** A carton of broth will be short on the amount needed by about ~¼ cup (45 ml). Use extra beer to make up the difference.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 tsp. (6 g) salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat well.
Warm the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add one-third to half of the beef - do not crowd - and cook for about 5 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly (top-left).
Transfer the browned beef to a plate and repeat to brown the remaining beef, adding more oil, if needed, between batches (top-right).
Pour the beer into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.
Return browned beef to the pot and add the broth and paprika. Adjust the heat to low (or 1 on a 10 heat dial), cover, and cook at a simmer until the meat is very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Add the onion, carrots, and potatoes to the pot and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. It was super easy to make, had great flavour, and the broth was a nice change-up from what I was used to.
Definitely do try out different beers to see which background flavour you like best!