Veal Forestier Food

FRENCH IN A FLASH: VEAL STEW FORESTIèRE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• In a stew pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Sear the cubes of meat on all sides. The meat will not be cooked through. Remove it to a plate while you get on with the rest of the stew.
• Add a bit of light olive oil or butter to the pot if it needs it, and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the shallots and the garlic and sweat very gently for 1 minute, until the shallots are translucent, and the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the mushrooms to the pot, and turn up the heat slightly. Cook until soft and a touch brown around the edges: 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry. For safety, pour the 1/2 cup sherry into a separate cup, take the pan off the heat, and add it in. Turn the heat up so that the sherry bubbles and reduces.
• Add the meat back into the pot.
• Add the beef stock and the thyme. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the pot boils, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Lay out two slices of Jambon de Bayonne or Prosciutto on the baking sheet, and place in the 450°F oven for 10 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool. Brake the crispy ham into salty shards.
• Make a beurre manié by mashing together the butter and the flour. Stir into the stew, and let it bubble up a few minutes until the stew has noticeably thickened. Take the pot off the heat, and stir in the cream. Pull out the stems of thyme. Add the crispy shards of ham on top.

VEAL FORESTIERE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Season the veal with salt and pepper; coat in the flour. Reserve the leftover flour. Cook the veal 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the mushrooms, garlic and rosemary to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in 2 Tbsp. of the reserved flour; discard the rest. While stirring, slowly mix in the stock. Bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper. Return the veal to the skillet and heat through 1 to 2 minutes, and then serve.

VEAL FORESTIER

Steps:

• Start to prepare about 50 minutes before serving.
• On cutting board, with meat mallet or dull edge of French knife, pound veal cutlets to 1/8" thickness.
• Cut cutlets into about 3" by 2" pieces.
• On a sheet of waxed paper, coat cutlets lightly in flour.
• In a 10" skillet, over medium-high heat, in hot butter, cook meat, a few pieces at a time, until lightly browned on both sides, removing pieces as the brown and adding more butter as needed.
• Add mushrooms, vermouth, water, salt and pepper to skillet; heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
• Return meat to skillet; heat through.
• Stir in chopped parsley.
• Serve with sauteed cherry tomatoes and garnish with a sprig of parsley.