Receta Veal Marengo, with Shallots and Mushrooms, an epiphany
I don’t remember why or how this became a tradition.
I know that it’s only my tradition.
But as soon as I start thinking about decorating for Christmas I get a craving for Veal Marengo.
I’m not sure when I started making it, but it’s been a few years.
I’ve done it in the oven, in a crock pot and on the stove top.
Whatever the method, it’s delicious – serve it on pasta, gnocchi, or creamy polenta
Veal Marengo
Total time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- 16oz (480gr) veal, suitable for braising
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 (4oz, 120ml) cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cup (12oz, 360ml) dry white wine
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 10 – 12 medium shallots
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 – 3 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 3 tbs water
Instructions:
Cut veal into 2 inch (5cm) cubes.
Mince or crush garlic.
In a deep, heavy pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the veal and brown on all sides.
Add garlic, tomato paste, stock, wine, bouquet garni and thyme and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Peel shallots.
Clean mushrooms. If mushrooms are large cut in half or quarters.
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add shallots and sauté until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes, stirring often.
After the veal has simmered for 45 minutes add the shallots and mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes or until vegetables are done.
With a slotted spoon remove the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Cover to keep warm.
Turn the heat to medium-high under the sauce.
Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the sauce a little at a time until thickened to your liking.
Spoon over the meat and vegetables and serve over gnocchi or pasta.
I had an epiphany last summer.
One of the benefits of going on long bike rides on beautiful summer days is ample time for one’s mind to wander.
My mind wandered to thoughts of how to make time to do more wandering.
Do you ever find yourself so involved in something that you loose all perspective as to whether or not what you’re doing is something you should be doing?
That’s where my mind was wandering……
I had two blogs and 4 websites.
The thought occurred to me that I was spreading myself a bit thin.
I decided to consolidate.
To be honest, I agonized over doing it….. When one has invested a lot of time and effort it’s hard to just stop.
Then I remember the saying: Do as I say, not as I do.
I know what I would have told me if I had asked me.
So I took my own advice.
I cut my work in half.
I now have one blog: this one.
I have two websites: Thyme for Cooking, which I’ve done for years. It’s a weekly menu planning site with recipes and shopping lists. Up until today it was a subscription-based, member-only site.
As of today it’s free.
Well, it’s not free of the ads I hope will replace my revenue, but I’ll try to keep the ads tolerable….. nothing blocking the screen shouting at you.
The other site is Thyme for Cooking Kitchen, an internet cook book with nutrition info.
And it only took me four months of intensive work to make my life easier….
But next summer…..
I can almost feel the wind in my hair.
And more time in the kitchen all year – I like that!
If you want nutrition information for the recipe, try this site: Calorie Count
Last Updated on December 4, 2013