The Japanese have an affinity for western-influenced dishes like Japanese Curry, Tonkatsu, Korokke (Croquettes), and Hayashi Rice (recipe coming soon). Known as the Yoshoku (洋食), they inevitably play a big part in shaping what Japanese cuisine is today. Cream Stew (クリームシチュー), or sometimes called White Stew (ホワイトシチュー), is one of those favorites you can find on the yoshoku menu. Many Japanese families with young children enjoy the dish frequently at both home and restaurants. Today we’re making this delicious cream stew in my favorite Instant Pot! No pressure cooker (Instant Pot)? Here’s my Japanese Cream Stew recipe you can cook on the stovetop.
What is Cream Stew (White Stew)?
You probably have some idea of what Cream Stew tastes like. Interesting enough, there is no “Japanese” element in the recipe at all, yet it’s a somewhat uniquely Japanese dish. Here, chicken (or pork), onions, carrots, and potatoes are cooked in chicken or vegetable broth, and the white sauce roux (bechamel sauce) is added to thicken the stew. Why Cream Stew is such a family favorite? Aside from deliciousness, the cooking process is very similar to making Japanese Chicken Curry. Up until you add the roux (bechamel sauce), it’s pretty much identical to the base for curry. That means you can decide whether to make a cream stew or curry at the last minute! The Japanese love the convenience of using packaged Japanese Curry Roux or Cream/White Stew Roux. All you need to do is to dissolve the cubed roux in the pre-seasoned stew. However, today, we’ll make everything from scratch!
What is White Sauce (Béchamel) and How to Make It
White sauce (ホワイトソース), or also known as Béchamel sauce, is a classic all-purpose French sauce made from butter, flour, and milk. It pretty much forms the basis of French dishes, such as casseroles, cream croquettes, and savory soufflés. And it’s pretty easy and simple to make at home. Here are the 3 simple steps. The Basic White Sauce Ratio A roux is usually a mixture of an equal volume of butter and flour. Here in this recipe, I used 3 tablespoons (43 g) of butter and 3 tablespoons (23 g) of all-purpose flour. Besides butter, ghee, coconut oil or other fat can be used. You can also use gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose flour. The roux then will be mixed with 2 cups of milk, and the amount can be adjustable based on how thick you want the sauce to be. In this recipe, I used 1 cup milk and 1 cup liquid from the stew.
Cream Stew Ingredients and Substitutes:
1. Protein
Chicken and pork are typically used as the main protein, but feel free to substitute with other choices. I think seafood works beautifully in the stew. For vegetarian, you can skip protein and use just vegetables. Perhaps cauliflower or a variety of wild mushrooms as your main ingredient.
2. Vegetables
Onions, potatoes, and carrots are the basic vegetables in the cream stew. Most cream stew has some type of green vegetables; broccoli is a popular choice, then green peas and green beans. For potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes have a smooth, slightly waxy, and firm texture. Russet potatoes have a creamy, crumbly, starchy texture, but they don’t hold their shape well. If you like to use this type, remember to cut it into bigger chunks as I did.
3. Mushrooms
Button mushrooms are commonly used but some people use Japanese mushrooms like shimeji mushrooms and maitake mushrooms. I don’t recommend shiitake mushrooms as they have distinct flavors and fragrances that don’t go well with this dish.
4. Stock
The packaged cream stew roux requires simple water, but when you make a homemade white sauce (bechamel sauce), I recommend using chicken or vegetable broth to create more depth and complexity in the flavors.
5. Other Commonly Used Ingredients
Heavy cream, corn, and cheese are common additions to the cream stew.
How to Cook Cream Stew without Instant Pot
If you don’t own an Instant Pot, double the amount of chicken/vegetable broth (add more if broth doesn’t cover the ingredients) and cook all the ingredients in the pot for 20 minutes. The rest of the process is the same.
3 Tips to Make Instant Pot Cream Stew
1. Cut vegetables into uniform sizes or adjust the cutting size.
Each vegetable, whether hard or tender, must be cooked for the same amount of time in the Instant Pot. To achieve the perfect texture, you need to cut the vegetables into uniform sizes so they cook roughly at the same rate. One trick to shorten the cooking time is to cut the tough vegetables into slightly smaller sizes so they cook faster. If one vegetable tends to cook too fast, you may need to cut it into a slightly bigger size. In this recipe, that’s Russet potatoes. If you cut the potatoes into the same size as other vegetables, these starchy potatoes will disintegrate into the stew.
2. Make the white sauce outside of the Instant Pot and add it after pressure cooking
Milk isn’t so great in the Instant Pot as the high heat and pressure separate the milk proteins and lead to curdling. Although it is perfectly safe to eat, it doesn’t look appetizing. Therefore, you have to make the white sauce in a separate pot, and then add the sauce after you’re finished pressure cooking. All you need to do is to combine and warm everything up on lower heat until the right consistency.
3. Add separately blanched green vegetables at the end.
Do not cook the green vegetables in the Instant Pot as they will change to dark and sad-looking greens. Instead, blanch the green vegetables of your choice in a separate pot, and add them to reheat together. This way, you retain the beautiful color in your dish. I hope you add this instant pot cream stew to your family dinner rotation. Comforting, warm, and delicious, it could well be on its way to becoming your kids’ nostalgic craving in the future. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
