Veal Marengo

2 1/2 pounds veal shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

About 1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil

8 ounces white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

12-15 pearl onions, peeled

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup veal or beef stock

1 cup dry white wine

2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

3 shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large pinch fresh thyme leaves

3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus additional for garnish

3 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat the veal pieces dry with a paper towel and season on all sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a few tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the veal in a single layer but do not crowd the pot. Brown veal on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate. Repeat browning with remaining veal, adding more oil if needed. Set veal aside.

In the same pot, add the mushrooms. Cook mushrooms until brown and water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

Add the pearl onions to the same pot, adding more grapeseed oil if needed and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes longer. Remove from pan.

Pour excess oil from the pot leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.  Add the unsalted butter to the pot and melt. Return all the browned veal pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Sprinkle veal with flour and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat while stirring constantly until flour is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the veal or beef stock and be sure to deglaze the pot by scraping up the fond (browned bits) from the bottom of the pan.  Add the white wine, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, reserved pearl onions and mushrooms with any accumulated juices. Stir to combine, and if needed add just enough water to cover the veal. Cover the pot and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove pot from the oven, and garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe Notes

Chef Ludo Lefebvre builds layers of flavor in this hearty stew recipe inspired by Napoleon. If you can’t find veal shoulder, try using beef shoulder or chicken thighs instead.

(Recipe courtesy of Chef Ludo Lefebvre)

(Photography courtest of Chloe Crespi)