Japanese Cream Stew (White Stew)

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Chicken

1. Cut 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1½-inch pieces of even thickness. To do this, tilt your knife back and slice at a diagonal angle. The slanted surface gives each piece a flatter and more open area so the chicken cooks evenly and faster. This cutting technique is called sogigiri in Japanese.
2. Season the chicken with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To Blanch the Broccoli

1. Cut 1 head broccoli into florets and stem pieces: First, trim the head into florets. Then, remove the stem‘s tough outer skin and cut it into bite-size pieces.
2. Boil a pot of water and add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt for blanching the broccoli. Add the stem pieces first and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes.
3. Then, add the florets and cook for an additional 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 since I add them to the stew anyway, I usually skip that extra step. Tip: Don’t overcook the broccoli now as they will cook a bit more when we reheat them in the stew.

To Prepare the Other Ingredients

1. Cut 1 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. Tip: Separate each layer at this step, so you don‘t have to do it in the pot later.
2. Peel and cut 2 carrots at an angle into 1½-inch pieces, rotating the carrots a quarter turn between cuts. This cutting technique is called rangiri in Japanese.
3. Cut 2 Yukon gold potatoes into 1½-inch chunks. For these potatoes, I did not remove the skin.
4. Trim off the stems from 6 cremini mushrooms and slice the caps thinly.

To Cook the Ingredients

1. In a large pot (I used a 4½-QT pot), heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. If you‘re using a nonstick pot, you can omit the olive oil.
2. Add the chicken and sauté until 80% cooked through.
3. Add the onion and stir to cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
4. Add the potatoes and carrots and coat well with the oil in the pot.
5. Then, add 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock and 2 bay leaves.
6. Bring it to a boil on medium heat. Tip: 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.
7. Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer. Skim off the scum and foam on the surface.
8. Add the mushrooms and simmer on gentle heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Tip: Set a timer, as the potatoes can easily overcook.

To Make the Homemade White Sauce (Béchamel Sauce)

1. While the stew is simmering for 10 minutes, make the homemade white sauce, also called a béchamel sauce. (If using a store-bought cream stew mix, skip ahead to the next section). In a small saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp unsalted butter and let it melt completely on medium-low heat. During this time, heat up 1 cup whole milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it‘s warm to the touch.
2. Turn down the heat to medium low and sprinkle 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) onto the melted butter. Use a blunt-end spatula or whisk to stir it constantly and vigorously, without stopping.
3. 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.
4. Next, slowly and gradually add 1–2 Tbsp 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.
5. Continue to add more milk, 1–2 Tbsp 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.
6. 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.
7. Once you incorporate all the milk, add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, and ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg and mix it all together. Your white sauce is now done. Turn off the heat and set it aside.

To Combine the White Sauce and Cooking Broth

1. After 10 minutes of simmering, open the lid to the stew pot.
2. 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. If using 1 box Japanese Cream Stew Mix (optional), add 2 cubes of the mix into a ladleful of hot cooking liquid. Slowly dissolve it with a spoon or chopsticks, then stir it into the stew pot to incorporate. Repeat with the rest of the blocks, 2 cubes at a time.
3. If you made the homemade white sauce, scoop a ladleful of hot cooking broth and gradually add it into the pot of white sauce as you stir to blend it completely.
4. 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.
5. Once you‘ve added the homemade white sauce or store-bought mix, add 2 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream (optional). Season with up to 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste.
6. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5–10 minutes on low heat. Tip: To improve the flavor, I highly encourage you to let the stew sit on the stove or countertop at this point and cool to room temperature (keep the lid open). The stew will naturally thicken as the moisture evaporates and the flavors will meld as the stew cools. Then, reheat before serving.

To Serve

1. 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.

To Store

1. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you plan to freeze it, remove the potatoes (their texture will change) and freeze for up to a month.