Honeyed Pork and Turnip Stew

Honeyed Pork and Turnip Stew
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 pounds boneless pork roast or shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, trimmed of visible fat
1/4 cup flour for dredging
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces cipolline, white pearl, or red pearl onions
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored and cut in wedges
Put 2 tablespoons of the oil, the chopped onion and chopped garlic in a large, heavy frying pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent and garlic is barely golden. Transfer to heavy, covered Dutch oven or covered casserole dish.
Pat pork dry with paper towels. Put flour, salt and pepper in a medium-sized paper bag. Add pork cubes and shake to thoroughly dredge. (The contents will shake more easily in a paper bag than a plastic one.)
Reheat frying pan to medium and add about 2 tablespoons more oil. When hot, add pork in small batches; brown on all sides. As pork browns, transfer cubes to Dutch oven or casserole dish. Season pork with ginger and allspice.
Deglaze frying pan by pouring about 1/2 cup water in pan and scrape bottom with wooden spoon to release pork bits; add honey and pour over pork in casserole dish. Add chicken stock and turnips. Bring ingredients in the casserole dish to a boil, and immediately turn down heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut a shallow X in root end of the onions. Bring to a boil just enough water to cover onions. When water boils, drop in onions; blanch for 1 minute, drain and plunge onions into ice water to stop cooking process. Trim tops of onions, and slip off papery skins. (A sharp paring knife is useful for this.)
After casserole has simmered for about an hour, stir in onions and apples; simmer for another 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. To remove fat from stew, carefully pour liquid from casserole into a bowl. When liquid has settled, spoon off as much fat as possible. (Another method is to use a bulb baster by plunging baster beneath fatty liquid, and basting the defatted juices back into the casserole.) Transfer liquid back to stew.
Serves four.
Nutrition values per serving: 880 calories, 46 g fat, 58 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 60 g protein, 205 mg cholesterol, 454 mg sodium.
The Christian Science Monitor

File: 'fd winterstews.rec1' in 'aar'