Veal Blanquette

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 pounds veal stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Up to 1 cup flour seasoned with 1 tablespoon Creole spice, for dredging
3/4 cup olive-shaped pieces of turnip
3/4 cup olive-shaped pieces of carrot
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 quarts veal stock
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Salt and pepper
Soft polenta, for serving
Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or deep-sided sauté pan heat oil. Toss veal in flour seasoned with Creole spice and shake off excess. Add veal to pan without crowding, searing pieces on all sides; do this in batches if necessary and return all meat to pan. Add vegetables to pan and cook 3 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer stew for 30 minutes. Add cream, if using, and simmer 10 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with polenta. Using a vegetable peeler shave some Parmesan over and serve, garnished with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings