Just One Cookbook: Japanese Cream Stew (a.k.a. White Stew)

As much as I like to collect cookbooks, I will freely admit that most of my recipe ideas come from media of some sort, whether social or TV/movies.  And the inspiration for this fabulous dinner came from a show on Netflix.  I think a lot of Japanese housewives use the boxed pre-made blocks of stew roux, but I wanted this to be all from scratch, so I opted to make the white sauce.  I will admit the recipe requires more pots than I would like, but the result was fantastic.  Definitely will make again, 10/10.

Note: Instead of cutting up Yukon gold potatoes, I just used the peewee version.  I also used some additional shimeji mushrooms I had in the fridge.

Japanese Cream Stew (a.k.a. White Stew)
Adapted from Just One Cookbook blog

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2½ teaspoons kosher salt. divided use
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-ounce) head broccoli, cut into florets, stem discarded
1 (11-ounce) white onion
2 carrots (approximately 9 ounces)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
6 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Homemade White Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut the chicken thighs into 1½-inch pieces of even thickness. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Boil a pot of water and add 1 teaspoon salt for blanching the broccoli. Add the florets and cook for 2 minutes, or until almost tender and still crisp. Remove from the water and let cool. You can shock the blanched broccoli in ice water to make it as bright green as possible, but this is optional. Don’t overcook the broccoli now, as they will cook a bit more when they are reheated in the stew.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then into wedges. Trim off any root ends that are connecting the onion layers together so that they separate easily. Separate each layer. Peel and cut the carrots at an angle into 1½-inch pieces, rotating the carrots a quarter turn between cuts. This cutting technique is called rangiri in Japanese.

In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté until 80% cooked through. 
Add the onion and stir to cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the potatoes and carrots and coat well with the butter in the pot. Then, add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil on medium heat. The broth won't fully cover the ingredients at this time. The vegetables soon will release moisture and increase the cooking liquid to eventually submerge the ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum and foam on the surface. Add the mushrooms and simmer on gentle heat, covered, for 10 minutes.

While the stew is simmering for 10 minutes, make the homemade white sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and let it melt completely on medium-low heat. During this time, heat up the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it's warm to the touch. Turn down the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the flour onto the melted butter. Use a blunt-end spatula or whisk to stir it constantly and vigorously, without stopping.

The butter-flour mixture will swell and bubble. Continue to cook for the next 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot constantly. It's important to cook the flour gently during this step to get rid of its raw taste, but don't let it toast or turn dark. You want the pale color of a white roux. If it starts to brown, turn off the heat temporarily or reduce the heat to low while you finish cooking it. Once it's done cooking, set the heat to medium-low.

Next, slowly and gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the warm milk to the saucepan. Use your spatula or whisk to quickly and vigorously blend the milk into the butter-flour mixture. You will notice the mixture absorb all the moisture and clump up. Continue to add more milk, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring quickly after each addition to combine it well with the flour mixture and smooth out any clumps. Don’t hurry, and NEVER add too much liquid at once or you might create lumps. Once you get lumps, they are hard to fix. The goal is to blend the mixture COMPLETELY each time before you add more liquid. Make sure there are no lumps of flour left when you're done adding all the milk. Once you incorporate all the milk, add the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and mix it all together. Turn off the heat and set it aside.

After 10 minutes of simmering, open the lid to the stew pot. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into a potato. It should be tender, but don't overcook it. It should not break easily. Next, combine the white sauce and cooking broth. Scoop a ladleful of hot cooking broth and gradually add it into the pot of white sauce as you stir to blend it completely. Add another ladleful of broth and combine well. Now, pour the diluted white sauce back into the stew pot. Gently mix to blend it completely with the rest of the cooking liquid.

Once you've added the homemade white sauce, add the heavy cream and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Right before serving, add the blanched broccoli to the stew to reheat. Simmer on low heat and do not boil. Once everything is nice and warm, serve the stew in individual bowls. Enjoy it with steamed rice in the bowl or crusty bread on the side.

Makes 6 servings