Veal Stew with Dumplings, Mushrooms, and Carrots

Now that I've had a bit of a simpler time after the holidays, and it's snowing and cold again, I am feeling in the mood for a slow cooked winter stew. Since I have some work I have to finish at home, and a lazy day and a half to do it in, I thought I'd simultaneously work on a pot of this Belgian blanquette from my excellent new cookbook Everybody Eats Well in Belgium.

A slowly built, multiflavored stew is a perfect project for when you are indoors anyway, doing laundry, reading a book, or writing a report, because although you must give it time to cook, you don't have to do anything tricky. You needn't spend all that much actual time on it. Instead, it will keep you company. Personally, I find it very pleasant to get up every once in a while to check on my stew, or add the next ingredient, while my apartment slowly fills with good smells. Pottering.

Generally, when I make a stew or potroast or any of the slowly braised winter meat dishes, I don't consult a recipe. I might have noted something in a book or article in the way of a twist I want to try, but I usually just incorporate it in the general methods I've been using for years. Today, though, I was thinking I'd like to try another dish from my new Belgian cookbook. This blanquette, finished with cream and eggs, is not the sort of stew I usually make, so I followed the recipe to get the hang of it. Don't be put off by the length of the recipe, there is nothing tricky about it. Nothing is sauteed, you need only add things at the proper time. It is all subtle flavors, but not boring... creamy, with a twist of lemon and nutmeg. The little dumplings are a nice surprise.

This would be a good dinner party dish, it is actually quite fancy in its way. As Ms.Van Warebeek noted, people love this sort of thing, and it is more suited to making at home than in a restaurant. Some dishes are equally suited to both, others better left to the restaurant chef. Might as well give them what they can't buy. I'm always grateful to be served interesting home food in other people's houses.

Since I tried this out on myself, it will make multiple dinners. So, I stopped before the egg/cream finish, and divided it into 3 parts. Each one will be one dinner, and a lunch reheated gently. Once you add the egg cream mixture, you can't bring the stew to a boil, or the sauce will curdle. So I will finish each third separately, using one egg yolk and 1/4 cup of cream. However, if you are feeding a group, the recipe will do for six people, and you will need only 2 yolks, and 1/2 cup cream in all. The picture you see was taken before this finishing step-the stew looks prettier at the end, paler and with more parsley sprinkled over. I was using the last of the daylight...my flash aided pictures of food are invariably horrific.

In addition to dividing up the recipe, I altered it slightly, because I already had a nice bowl of frozen light, gelatinous meat stock. If this is not in your freezer (it certainly isn't always in mine), you should do as the original recipe dictated, and put a pound of veal bones in with your veal at the start, and use water. I don't find veal bones all that easy to come by. Whenever I see them for a reasonable price, I grab and freeze them, as they are an unbeatable boost in almost any braised meat dish.

To make this for 6 people, you will need:

veal stew meat 2 lbs
medium onion stuck with 3 cloves
carrots, peeled, cut in 2" pieces 2
celery stalk cut in 1" lengths
leek, cut in 1" pieces
light gelatinous meat broth or water to cover abour 2 cups
veal bones (if using water) 1 lb
bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and a bay leaf, tied
baby carrots 12
button mushrooms 18 (or equivalent in quartered, larger mushrooms
unsalted butter 4oz
all purpose flour 5 tbps
dumplings (see below)
freshly grated nutmeg
lemon juice
heavy cream 1/2 cup
egg yolks 2
parsley chopped

Cut the meat in 2" squares and place in a 3-4 qt pot. (A nice enameled cast iron sort of pot which will do for serving too is good.) Add bones if using, cover with water or stock. Bring to a boil, skim, turn to simmer, and add all ingredients to and including the bouquet garni. Cover and simmer til the meat is tender- probably 2 hours or more. Meanwhile make the dumplings:

Dumplings
ground veal 1/4 lb
finely chopped parslet
salt
pepper
nutmeg, freshly grated

Mix all dumpling ingredients together well. form into little marble size balls. Refrigerate until needed.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a medium sized pot. Return meat to the original pot and reserve. Toss the stock veg and bouquet and general stock sludge items. Reduce veal stock for 10 minutes. add baby carrots to stock. Turn down heat to simmer.Cover and cook about 20 minutes. Remoce cover and add mushrooms. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add dumplings and cook 5 more minutes. Remove dumplings, carrots and mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and add to veal. In a medium pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and add the hot stock, whisking until you have a smooth sauce. Pour the sauce over the stew meat and other goodies. (You can cool and refrigerate now, if you are not ready to serve.)

When you are ready to serve, reheat the stew gently. In a little bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, nutmeg and 3 tbsps lemon juice. Add a ladle full of hot gravy from the stew and mix well. Slowly add the mixture back into the stew, stirring continually. Adjust seasoning, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
This is some really tasty, heartening stuff. If you serve this to people with mashed potatoes they will probably love you forever.

By the way, isn't my little stew pot lovely? They have been running a sale on these small Staub "cocottes", making them almost affordable. Alas, now that I'm hooked, I'll never be able to buy the pricey larger ones. They are a total pleasure to use.

Comments

[mzn]

That is a pretty picture and it's worth clicking on it to see the big version. I share your horror of flash-lit dinner-time food photos.

Aren't those dumplings really meatballs like the ones in your soup the other day? Is it a Belgian affectation to call meatballs dumplings?

I would be thrilled to be served this over mashed potatoes.

Are you starting to believe that everyone might indeed eat well in Belgium?

[lindy]

Hmmm. All the evidence points to a "dumpling" as a creature either including, or encased in some kind of dough or batter, or something other than, or besides, meat.
But how can it be a Belgian "affectation" to call something by the wrong English name?
I appeal to Ms. Baking Soda (should she stop by), who is Dutch, but says the languages are similar. Can you think of a linguistic reason Ms. V-W refers to meatballs as "dumplings"?

I am certainly beginning to believe that Ms. V-W's family and friends eat well, at least when they are in her vicinity.

[Baking Soda]

Hi! Oh boy, that's a tough one. Meatballs ("gehaktballen") are usually browned (braised?) in butter untill brown and then slowly simmered on low/medium heat untill done. You'll get something like this. The only reason I can think of is that "your" meatballs are cooked in a sauce and not really fried in butter, so according to the dutch language they are not really meatballs, hence the need for another name? A kind of twisted translation error I quess. Like you and mzn I also expect dumplings to be made with dough/batter.
Love your stew pot! I own a Cousances oval pot, and a small Le Creuset one, both in ugly retro reddish orange. The other day I saw small -individual- black ones, gorgeous! Think of the cost when you need 6 of them ::gasp::
Hmm, I seem to have enough beef I'll have to make some stew this weekend! Tnks for the inspiration!

[Baking Soda]

Sorry, my first permalink didn't work. I hope this one shows our dutch meatballs

[Baking Soda]

http://bakemyday.blogspot.com/2006/01/beef-it-up.html

[lindy]

Thanks, B. Soda, I think you must be right about the meatball/dumpling issue...it must have to do with poaching, versus pan cooking. Makes sense.
I had a look at that all that beef you bought (and packaged up)...amazing! What will you make with the endless sausage and all the rest? How is the sausage seasoned? Wow.

I actually sort of like that retro orange color on enameled cast iron pans. I read something once that Elizabeth David wrote when she first came across some Le Creuset pots in France- and bought some. She called them a "lovely marigold color," which made them seem charming.

I actually have a big old orange oval 7 qt one I bought at a yard sale...you could roast a goose in it, but you'd probably have a hernia to show for it. The matt black Staub ones have all the advantages of the Le Creuset ones, but are quite a bit easier to lift!

[Ivonne]

Perfect dish for a cold winter's day. Thanks for sharing!

[Melissa]

Lindy, this looks like just the thing for the horrible weather we're having. I've been craving all kinds of stewy, slow-cooked things lately, and I'll definitely have to add this recipe to the list!

[Baking Soda]

I know it's late (at least in this part of the world) but a stew is simmering on my stovetop, and in the fridge are the sausages,ready for sampling tomorrow night..fingers crossed!