"Recipes from the Chef's Kitchen"

The Veal and Wild Mushroom Ragout
Ingredients:
(Serves 6)
1)   2 lbs. Veal Should Meat - cut into 3/4” cubes
2)   2 tbs. Peanut Oil (or Canola Oil)
3)   1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
4)   1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
5)   1 Onion - finely chopped
6)   2 Garlic Cloves - minced
7)   1 cup dry White Wine
8)   2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
9)   1/2 oz dried Porcini Mushrooms (soaked in hot water for half an hour)
10) Bouquet Garni (10 – 12 fresh parsley stems w/leaves, 5 or 6 fresh thyme
       steams, 2 bay leaves, all tied together)
11) 2 Carrots - peeled
12) 2 Leeks
13) 8-oz Portabella Mushrooms
14) 4 tbs. Butter
15) 2 tbs. Olive Oil
16) More Kosher Salt - 1/4 tsp.
17) More Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp.
18) 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
19) 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Preparation:
1)   Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2)   Heat a medium sized Dutch oven (3 or 4 quart) over medium-high-heat
       until hot.
3)   Season the veal cubes with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
4)   Film the bottom of the pan with peanut oil.
5)   Carefully add about half of the veal cubes (taking care not to splash yourself
       with hot oil).  Only add just enough to cover the base of the pan in a single
       layer (if you add too much and crowd the pan, they will not brown).
6)   Brown over medium high heat --- stir from time to time to make sure you sear
       all the sides of the meat.
7)   Lift the seared veal out of the pot with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate.
8)   Add a touch more peanut oil and brown the second batch of meat in a similar
       manner.  Again, lift the veal out with a slotted spoon.
9)   Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the chopped onions to the pot and
       cook over medium-low-heat until the onions are soft and translucent
       (approximately 10 minutes +/-). Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant
       (2 minutes). Add the veal back into the pot and stir to combine.
10) Add the wine, turn up the heat and bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat
       to medium and simmer, reducing the wine by 2/3rds.
11) Add the chicken stock, Porcini mushrooms and Bouquet Garni, bring it back
       to a boil and then top with a tight fitting lid and pop it into the oven.
12) Cook for about 1 hour, until the veal is tender.
13) To prepare the vegetables: Cut the carrots in half, length-wise and cut 1/4”-inch
       half moon shapes.
14) Cut the leeks in half, cut them into 1/4”-inch half moon shapes, and wash to
       remove the grit.
15) Wipe the Portabella mushroom caps clean, trim and discard stems, and slice the
       caps into 1/8th-inch slices.
16) Heat a 9” sauté pan over medium-heat. M
17) Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the carrot Half-moons. Then sauté over
       brisk heat until the carrots are cooked 1/2 way through (they should still be crisp)
       and lightly golden.
18) Tip out on to a plate, and wipe the sauté pan clean. Melt a second tablespoon
       of butter and gently cook the leeks over low heat until they are tender --- do
       not let them brown --- if necessary add 2 tablespoons of water so that they can
       cook without crisping (if you add water, cook until the it has evaporated).
19) Tip out on to the plate with the cooked carrots (keep separated).
20) Wipe the skillet clean and reheat over medium high heat.
21) Add the last remaining tablespoon of butter with the olive oil. When hot, add
       the Portabella mushroom slices and sauté until golden brown on both sides.
22) When the veal is tender (approximately 1 hour) transfer the Dutch oven from
       the oven up to the stovetop.
23) Add the carrots, Portabella mushrooms, cream and Dijon mustard and stir.
24) Allow to simmer, again covered, over gentle heat for a half-hour to allow the flavors
       to combine.
25) Add the leeks at the last moment.
26) Remove the Bouquet Garni before serving.
27) Good over buttered noodles or spaetzle.

The Spaetzle

Preparation:
1)   Combine the eggs, milk and salt and whisk to thoroughly blend.
2)   Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the liquid ingredients.
3)   Stir to combine.
4)   Grate in a touch of fresh nutmeg.
5)   The batter should look like a thick pancake batter (it should drop from a spoon).
6)   Cover and let the batter rest for half an hour.
7)   In a three quart-pot, bring a quart and a half of lightly salted water to a rapid
       boil (i.e. half way up the pot).
8)   Balance a metal colander with medium sized holes over the top of the pot.
9)   The boiling water should not quite touch the bottom --- if it does --- carefully
       remove just a bit.
10) Once you have checked the water level --- remove the colander (you don’t want
       it hot or the spaetzle dough will cook on the colander, blocking the holes so that
       you can’t push it through).
11) Gather the rest of your equipment, as once you start to cook, you need to have
       everything organized and in place.
12) You will need a large skimmer, a flexible pastry scraper, a 9 x 13 pan with 2
       tablespoons of butter cut into 4 or 5 pieces dotting the bottom, and an empty
       plate (to put the dirty colander down on, or you will make a mess of your
       counter top!).
13) To cook the spaetzle, balance the colander over the boiling water, scoop up a
       1/4-cup of batter with the pastry scrapper and quickly push the batter through
       the holes in the colander into the boiling water. Work the scrapper back and forth
       across the bottom and little “rivulets” of dough will drop into the water.
14) After pushing the batter through, place the colander on the awaiting empty plate.
       If you leave it on the pot, it will heat up too much and when you try to cook the
       next batch, the batter will cook as soon as it hits the colander and will consequently
       block up of all the holes!
15) Once the spaetzle floats, let it cook for another minute and then scoop it out with
       the skimmer (give it a shake above the pot to drain the water back into the pot)
       and tip the cooked spaetzle into the 9 x 13 pan.
16) Give it a gentle shake to make sure each of the dumplings is coated in butter.
17) Continue on pushing the spaetzle through in small batches.
18) Toss each batch in to the buttered dish, and shake to coat in butter. You might
       need to stop in the middle of the process and wash the calendar (some times the
       holes get blocked up!).
19) To serve, heat a 9-inch skillet over medium-high-heat, melt the remaining two
       tablespoons of butter.
20) When it is sizzling, toss in the spaetzle and sauté briefly to crisp.

Good Eating!!!

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