A deliciously elegant French baked stew
made with veal, mushrooms, leeks, bacon, artichoke hearts and
dry vermouth.
Veal and Mushroom
Ragout
4 medium leeks
1/4 pound sliced bacon
1 pound large whole mushrooms
2 pounds veal, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Trim leeks and cut into 1/2-inch rings.
Rinse well and drain well.
- Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet until browned
and crisp. Drain on paper towel. Crumble and set aside.
- In skillet, pour off all but 1 tablespoon
bacon fat. Over medium-high heat, cook leeks until browned. With
slotted spoon remove leeks to 3-quart casserole.
- In 2 tablespoons bacon fat or oil, cook
mushrooms until browned. Remove with slotted spoon to casserole.
- Leave drippings in pan. Coat veal with
flour. Cook in drippings over medium-high heat, 1/3 at a time
until well browned. Transfer browned veal to casserole.
- Add vermouth, salt, pepper and water to
skillet. Stir to loosen brown bits. Pour over veal in casserole.
Cover and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes.
- Stir in artichokes into casserole. Cover
and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until all ingredients
are tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon.
Makes 6 servings.
