VEAL SPEZZATINO WITH MUSHROOMS

North Italy
Prep: 10 min; Cook: 50 min - Easy
Serves 4 - 6

Delicious veal and mushroom stew; serve with polenta or a pasta like fettucine or tagliatelle.

• 1 lb. veal, cleaned, deboned, trimmed, cut in bite-size pieces (spezzato)
• 1 lb fresh mushrooms, porcini if you have them, cleaned and cut in large pieces. You can also use 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, soaked for 1/2 hour.
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• 2 TBSP good olive oil
• Italian parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Thick saucepan or casserole with cover.

IN saucepan on medium heat, sautée the onion and garlic until transparent.

REDUCE heat, add the veal pieces, lightly brown stirring regularly.

ADD the white wine, cover, cook on low heat for about 20 minutes (the liquid should just be bubbling).

ADD the mushroom pieces, salt and pepper, and cook, covered for another 20 minutes. You can add a bit of chicken or beef broth here if too dry, or allow to reduce if too wet (some mushrooms have a lot of water in them) until sauce is desired consistency.

SERVE with polenta or fresh pasta like fettucine or tagliatelle. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water to moisten the pasta if dish, when served, is too dry. Garnish with fresh chopped parley, if desired.

NOTE: In the U.S., we tend to put cheese on everything - both the veal and the mushrooms should have a delicate taste which might be masked by using cheese - try a bit first on one part of your plate if you want to use cheese.