PULLMAN, Wash. — An original stew combining apples and homemade German sausage took top honors in Saturday’s Wazzu Stew Contest at Washington State University.
Margaret Gisselberg, St. John, won the $100 first prize in this year’s Land Grant Day cooking contest with a concoction called Apple Cup Stew.
“I was kind of concerned about what exactly your definition of a stew would be,” said Gisselberg. “I wanted mine to be a little different.”
Contestants were required to use Washington commodities (except for spices). The stews were judged on flavor, texture, originality, appearance, ease of recipe and variety of commodities.
“I used German sausage that my husband, Jim, and Bill Kackman, a neighbor, make annually; it’s 100 percent pork. Since apples always go really good with pork I used apple juice rather than water,” said Gisselberg.
Olympia beer was also included in the recipe. She said it adds a yeast taste that contrasts with the sweet taste from the apple juice.
“The Apple Cup Stew was interesting because it uses apples and apple juice and it had a very totally different flavor, very unique,” said Lewis Reed, contest judge. “I just thought the flavor was great, the texture was great, very original and it is great for the state of Washington.” Reed is proprietor of Basilio’s Italian Cafe in Pullman.
The other contest judges were Alberta Hill, dean emeritus of the former College of Home Economics at Washington State University and Barry Swanson, WSU professor of food science and human nutrition.
Second place in the contest went to Mary Bybee Simonsen, Pullman, winner of the 1987 Wazzu Stew Contest. Her entry was Snappy Snap Stew. Third place went to Valerie Akins, Pullman, for her Beef-N-Brew Stew. She won the contest in 1986.
APPLE CUP STEW
By Margaret Gisselberg
1 can of Olympia Beer (12 ounce)
2 pounds German sausage
2 Granny Smith apples
6 medium carrots
6 small Russet potatoes
1 medium onion
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 cup Tree Top apple juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Tree Top apple juice mixed with 2 tablespoons corn starch
In skillet, brown cut-up sausage on all sides. Cut vegetables into pieces and add to skillet with beer and 2 cups apple juice. Simmer 30 minutes. Cut apples into small pieces. Combine ingredients from the skillet and all other ingredients (except for the 1-cup apple juice and corn starch) in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. During last hour, thicken stew with apple juice and corn starch mix. Garnish with minced parsley and serve in soup plates with a spoonful of sour cream.
SNAPPY SNAP STEW
By Mary Simonsen
3 cups water
½ cup raw lentils
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” chunks
2 cups new or red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 15-oz can cream corn
2 cups smoked Polish kielbasa, cut into small chunks
1 cup frozen petite peas
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup milk
3 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Curry powder
4 tablespoons flour
Wash lentils in cold water, sort and drain. Using a large pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the lentils, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and new/red potatoes, continuing to simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the cream corn, kielbasa, peas, green chilies, parsley and pepper, making sure the mixture continues to simmer. In a small bowl, mix together milk, oyster sauce, curry powder and flour. Slowly add the milk mixture to the stew, stirring constantly as you add it (so as to avoid flour lumps). Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Preparation time: Under 1 hour
Serves: 4-5 people
Serving suggestions: Stew is great with fresh sourdough bread and salad.
BEEF-N-BREW
By Valerie Akins
1 pound Washington beef, stew meat
2 tablespoons minute tapioca
1 cup Olympia beer
2 cups beef broth
2/3 cup applesauce
1 chopped Walla Walla Sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
4 fresh garden carrots peeled and sliced
3 large Quincy potatoes cut into chunks
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
1 cup fresh green beans
Dredge beef cubes into tapioca and lay in bottom of crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients except for mushrooms and beans and cook for 4 hours. Add fresh beans and mushrooms and cook for one more hour.
Serve with home-baked bread or biscuits.
– 30 –