Japanese Cream Stew

Cream Stew is a satisfying home cooked meal that is a staple in many Japanese homes. Choose your favorite combination of meat and vegetables to create this delicious and wholesome stew.

Featured Japanese Stew

Japanese Cream Stew is a staple dish in many Japanese homes. Much like Japanese curry and hashed beef, the roux can be purchased as pre-packaged blocks at most Japanese markets. But this dish is quite easy to make from scratch, and it is so much more delicious when you prepare the roux yourself. The roux can be prepared while the stew is cooking, so it does not take any more time than using the pre-packaged blocks.

Japanese Cream stew is a typical yōshoku dish, a fusion of Japanese and Western cooking. And although the recipe calls for very common veggies in both the west and in Japan, almost any veggies go well in this hearty stew. Seasonal mushrooms also go well in here- try some eryngi, shimeji or maitake to give it a bit of a Japanese flavor. Broccoli, Komatsuna or shungiku can be added to provide some green colors.

I love to use beef, but chicken is also delicious in this versatile Japanese Cream Stew.

This is a dish that can be served over rice or all on its own. In the US there is often a perceived taboo about eating two starches (rice and potatoes) together, but like curry, this dish goes perfectly with white rice and serving Japanese Cream Stew with with rice is perfectly acceptable.

If you would prefer to use the pre-packaged roux, then House Hokkaido Cream Stew roux is readily available from Amazon. Just follow the simple instructions on the package and you can have a pot of stew ready in about a half hour. But I still urge you to try making this from scratch because it is really easy and delicious when you do it yourself.

So the next time you want to cook a delicious and hearty one pot meal that your entire family can enjoy, give this recipe a try.

Japanese Cream Stew with Beef

Try this delicious one pot meal and you won’t be disappointed. Wildly popular in Japan and enjoyed by people of all ages, this stew is the perfect family dinner.

If you prefer to use pre-packaged roux then check out my ads below and pick up a few packages.

If you make it from scratch, be very careful not to let the stew boil because it will cause your cream to curdle.

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
30 mins	30 mins	Serves 8

PREP	30 mins
COOKING	30 mins
YIELD	Serves 8

Ingredients:

1/2 pound chopped beef (225g)
1 TBSP cooking oil
3 1/2 cups Chicken or Vegetable stock (700ml)
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
4 potatoes
1 large onion
12 button mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
4 TBSP lightly salted butter
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup half and half cream
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Prior to cooking, take the milk and cream out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to warm up to room temperature.
Using a stockpot, sauté the beef, onion, and celery in the oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes until the beef is browned and the onion and celery are softened.

Add the stock, bring to a boil, and add the carrots and potatoes. Lower the heat to medium and maintain a light boil for about 30 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are softened.

While you are waiting for the potatoes and carrots to cook, prepare the cream sauce in a saucepan. Melt the butter over medium high heat. Gradually stir in the flour. Cook the flour and butter mixture for about three or four minutes making a roux (the mixture will be completely blended and there should be no lumps). Once the roux is complete, gradually add in the milk and stir into the roux. Constantly stir so no lumps form until the milk is used up. Then gradually add in the cream and stir. Add in the black pepper. Keep warm, stirring occasionally.

Going back to your stockpot, once the potatoes are tender then add the mushroom and black pepper.

Gradually pour the cream sauce over the stew mixture stirring constantly to blend the ingredients. Heat up stirring constantly. Caution: Do not allow the stew to come to a boil because the cream will curdle.

Serve.

Notes:

When preparing from scratch, don’t let the stew boil. This will prevent the cream from curdling.
Flavor with salt, pepper, hot sauce, or Japanese shichimi.
Refrigerate unused portions and reheat later.
You can substitute boneless chicken thigh for the beef.

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.

More Recipes by

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.