Like fish and meat, even vegetables can be cooked "stewed" with two similar techniques, the stewing and the brazing.
The terms tell us about the origins of these cooking, one on the stove (heat only at the base), the other between the embers (heat all around). The application of these techniques to vegetables, more than for other types of food, must take into account the characteristics of what you want to cook: vegetables very rich in water, in fact, will be more suitable for a stewing, while for brazing must choose the most tenacious, able to withstand longer cooking times, which leave the possibility of "shrinking" the cooking grounds.

Choose the right cooking

The vegetables that can be braised are usually also suitable for stewing, with the provision of cut them into smaller pieces. For example, the cabbage can be braised leaving the leaves whole or stewing in strips; the leeks are braised, cut into small logs and become stewed in small rondelles. However, the opposite is not always true: some vegetables suitable for stewing can not be braised, such as spinach and other green leafy vegetables. They are in fact too delicate to support the strong evaporation of brazing. Even tomatoes and peppers can be stewed, but they are not strong enough for brazing.

Perfumes and accessories

To flavor the moist they are used aromatic herbs, spices and liquids like wine, liqueurs, milk. In brazing, ham, lard or other fats enrich the cooking base with aromas.

Our tips in the gallery below

Recipes with stewed vegetables