Clay Pot Tuscan Veal Stew Recipes

ITALIAN VEAL STEW (SPEZZATINO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Pat the veal dry using paper towels and season on all sides with salt and pepper. If preferred you can use a meat mallet to tenderize each piece before seasoning.
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to an oven proof pot with a lid (such as a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot) and set on medium-high heat. Add the veal to the pot in a single layer and allow it to brown on all sides.
• Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside. Add in remaining 2 tbsp oil along with onions, carrots, celery, and sauté until fragrant. Add in the sliced garlic along with the oregano and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the veal back to the pot and sprinkle the flour over it. Mix the flour into the meat and veggies and allow it to cook for one minute.
• Add 1/4 cup stock to deglaze the pot. Scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Add the mushrooms if using, and top with remaining chicken broth. Pour in enough so that the veal is barely covered.
• Add the bay leaves along with any other herbs you like (such as thyme, rosemary, or sage), and crushed tomatoes. Mix to combine all ingredients and then cover the pot and place it into the preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the sauce is thickened and the meat is fall apart tender.
• Remove the pot from the oven and stir your stew. Ensure you remove the bay leaves and any other spices that aren't edible (such as thyme sticks). Your sauce should be thick like a gravy. If not, you can add 1-2 tsp of potato starch into the pot and stir to thicken your sauce. Taste your stew and adjust salt and pepper seasoning to suit your personal taste or finish with additional flavor boosts (see notes).
• Serve your stew by itself or with some crusty bread, polenta, couscous or mashed potatoes. Bring any leftovers to room temp before storing in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

BLUEPRINT FOR VEAL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• In an oven proof casserole, heat, until very hot, half of the oil. In small batches brown the veal cubes on all sides. When one batch is done, add more oil if you need to and continue to brown until all the veal is done. Discard the fat in the casserole and replace it with the butter. Add the carrot, onion and celery, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the white wine and boil down for a minute or until alcohol has evaporated. Return the veal cubes to the casserole with garlic and add just enough broth to barely cover the veal. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the bouquet garni, put a buttered piece of parchment or brown paper on top of the meat, then a lid on the casserole and set in the oven. Cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
• Remove casserole from the oven and strain the contents through a sieve and the liquid into another saucepan; discard bouquet garni. Divide solids into 2 batches. Degrease the liquid and boil it down until reduced to 3 cups. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the liquid and add it to half of the meat. Return the other half of the veal to the remaining liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Thicken with beurre manie if you wish. Serve with rice, polenta or potatoes; garnish with parsley.

CLAY POT TUSCAN VEAL STEW

Steps:

• Soak bottom and top of a 3 qt clay pot for 10 minutes, drain.
• Toss veal with flour, salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and brown meat.
• Place meat in clay pot.
• In the non-stick skillet, add onion, 1/2 the garlic and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine, chicken stock and tomatoes.
• Mix and cook til just warm.
• Pour into clay pot.
• Cover pot, place in cold oven.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.
• Mix together remaining garlic, parsley and lemon rind.
• Sprinkle mixture over the finished stew and serve.

VEAL STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over moderate heat. Add veal and cover. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until veal browns lightly and becomes almost tender.
• Add onions, tomatoes, carrots and 1 tablespoon dill. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Add remaining 1 tablespoon dill, cilantro, scallions, salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes longer, or until well blended.

VEAL STEW WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS, FAVA BEANS, AND PEAS

Steps:

• Prepare sachet d'epice Place the aromatics on a large piece of cheesecloth, gather the edges to enclose, and tie with kitchen twine.
• Blanch favas Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl for shocking the beans (which stops the cooking and preserves their color). Drop the fava beans into a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes. Lift out the peas with a slotted spoon (or a spider) and plunge into the ice-water bath. Once they are thoroughly cool, drain and peel off the tough outer skins.
• Cook veal and artichokes Pour the wine into a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute (to cook off some of the alcohol). Add veal, water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and skim the foam from the surface with a slotted spoon (veal produces more surface foam than other meats, so this step is important). Add herb sachet and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming the surface frequently. Add artichokes to the pot, submerging them partially in the liquid. Cook until the artichokes and veal are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, adding peas during last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove the sachet and squeeze out the liquid into the pot. Then strain the contents of the pot through a fine sieve into a bowl or large measuring cup, reserving veal, artichokes, and peas. You should have about 3 cups liquid.
• Thicken sauce Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove. First, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat until foamy, swirling the pan to melt evenly, then whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Next, make a velouté by whisking the reserved liquid into the roux and bringing to a boil (again, always whisking), cooking until the mixture is smooth. (Classic culinary teaching would have you whisk cold stock into a hot roux, or vice versa, to prevent the sauce from forming lumps, but that isn't necessary as long as you whisk diligently.) Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
• Make liaison (optional) Whisk together the egg yolk, if using, and heavy cream, then temper by gradually whisking in a cup of the velouté (this will allow the egg to gently heat so it doesn't curdle). Now whisk everything back into the pot and cook over gentle heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you prefer, omit the egg and whisk the cream directly into the velouté in the pan.)
• Serve Return the veal, artichokes, and peas to the pot along with the peeled favas and cook gently to heat through, stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and chopped dill or parsley to taste.
• Ingredients
• This stew is best made in spring when all the ingredients are in season, but in a pinch, substitute frozen peas, fava beans, and even artichoke hearts, adding all at the end, just to heat through.
• BLANQUETTE DE VEAU
• Omit fava beans, peas, and artichokes. Once the veal has cooked for 1 hour and 20 minutes, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces small white button mushrooms and 6 ounces blanched and peeled pearl onions (page 31), tossing to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup stock from the stew and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through and the stock has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 9 minutes. Finish with the liaison, then return veal to the pot along with the vegetables.

VEAL STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender.
• Add meat to the pot, and brown evenly.
• Stir in tomato sauce and white wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.