Veal Stew à La Hongroise

The Cottage Cook's Note:

My apologies if this recipe title seems a little affectatious. I wanted to make sure there was no duplicate on file. This is an east European style goulash. I like to include a lot of mushrooms because I think they're a great addition to any stew. Look around for the best quality veal you can find.

• Total Time: 4 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 lbs stewing veal , cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 green pepper , chopped
• 1 ½ cups mushrooms , sliced
• 5 ounces tomato paste
• 14 ounces canned tomatoes
• 50 ml brandy
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon savory
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 250 ml sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until soft but not brown. Transfer to a stew pot.
2. Add veal to skillet without over-crowding and cook until nicely browned. Brown in batches if necessary. Transfer to stew pot.
3. Remove skillet from heat and pour off excess oil and fat. Deglaze pan with brandy, scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan. Strain liquid into stew pot.
4. Add beef stock, tomato paste and tomatoes to meat and onions. Add salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and savory. Stir well.
5. Cover tightly and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until meat is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning regularly.
6. Sweat green pepper in a little oil until fragrant. Add to stew during last hour of cooking.
7. Saute mushrooms in butter and oil until just wilted. Add to stew during last half hour of cooking.
8. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream on top.