Hearty Turkey and Potato Stew

Note: Potato stew with meat is a very common dish in Romania which is often associated with traditional food and, sometimes, well... poverty during Ceausescu's communist regime, as potatoes were something that all families had on their tables. However, I think we can say we are now experiencing a revival of this traditional dish which reminds us of the flavors of our childhood. 

Ingredients:

•  2 spoons of vegetable cooking oil
• a large onion, peeled
• 500 gr of turkey (I used some turkey hearts which I cut in 4, but you can use any kind of meat you crave)
• 5 or 6 large potatoes
• 4 medium tomatoes
• several garlic cloves (to taste; I have to admit I am obsessed by garlic, so my dishes contain it in excess) (I am already drooling, again!)
• salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste
• parsley and one laurel leaf

How it's made:

Place meat in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add the meat and the onion and brown meat on all sides, adding a cup of boiled water when the meat juice is gone. Cook like this for 10-15 minutes.

When the meat is half-cooked and the water is reduced, add the onion to pot and sauté until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. When the onion is sauteed, add the potatoes (cut in small to medium pieces). Then cover all this with boiling water and add the laurel leaf. Reduce heat to medium and add half of the garlic as well.

Meanwhile, sink the tomatoes in hot water for one minute, then peel them and chop them (or grate them, in case you forgot to sharpen your knives!). When the potatoes are almost completely cooked (and you know how to do that: you check with a fork how soft they are!), add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 more minutes. 

At the end, stir in chopped parsley, adjust chili powder, add the remaining garlic and serve. If you want to impress your guest with how you food looks and tastes like, you can add the parsley when you serve the food. This stew goes very well with polenta, pickles, and onion salad. Enjoy!

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This is the first post in a series dedicated to Romanian food or to dishes that Romanians usually prepare in their homes for holidays or on any other day. The recipe below was made by my best buddy, Dana, who is a young, talented professional and a rugged cook. She loves Romanian food and cooks very often, even if she doesn't quite have time for that. Not to mention that she doesn't have time to write down the recipes and take pictures of her food. But she writes on this blog because she is very passionate about cooking and, well, she cares about me very much. :)