When the winter cold sets in, I like nothing better than something hearty and warm. Veal stew ticks both of those boxes and can help brighten up a dark winter night. Veal is one of my favorite meats to eat. However, my preferred dish (fried veal cutlets) doesn’t exactly lend itself to maintaining my belt line!
Veal stew is a traditional dish of northeast Italy and northern Croatia. In Croatia, stews and goulashes were brought from the Austro-Hungarians during the centuries of Hapsburg rule in the region. This rustic dish can be served with potatoes, but I wanted to attempt to recreate some of the elements of Hungarian goulash, substituting plump gnocchis for noodles or pasta.
Most butcher shops carry veal cubes for stew, this recipe can also easily translate to lamb or beef, and the tougher cuts lends itself well to stew. There is no worrying about overcooking and all you will need to clean is one pot. I made my own gnocchi, but you can just as easily use store bought.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 1/2 lb. veal cubes
- 1 lb. potato gnocchi
- 12 baby carrots
- 8 Crimini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 plum tomato, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. chopped rosemary
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat
- Dredge veal cubes in flour
- Add olive oil, butter, and veal to pot
- Season with sea salt, then add black pepper to taste
- Brown veal for 5-7 minutes
- Remove veal from pot and set aside
- Using wooden spoon, lift any veal sticking to pot
- Add carrots, mushrooms, onion, tomato, and garlic to pot
- Season with sea salt and 1/2 tbsp. rosemary, then add black pepper to taste
- Cook for 3-5 minutes
- Add vegetable stock and veal, then reduce heat
- Simmer on low heat for 45-50 minutes
Cooking the Gnocchi
- Bring salted water to boil
- Prior to serving stew, add potato gnocchi and cook for 3-5 minutes until gnocchi float to top
- Remove gnocchi from water
- Add gnocchi to bowl
- Spoon stew over gnocchi
- Garnish with rosemary
- Serve