Can a French veal stew , famous for its tiny white onions and fresh mushroom flavor, be converted to low fodmap and still retain its glorious flavors? I think it can. With some slight readjustments and substitutions, this low fodmap veal stew recipe is every bit as unctuous as you bite into the velvety veal. Bathed in the lovely pinot gregio, the earthy porcini mushrooms and the herb aromatics, low fodmap veal stew is as delightful as the original.
This recipe is my mother’s invention (Jeannette of my family cookbook, Jeannette’s Kitchen), but I have tweaked it to suit what I like and what I need to meet the fodmap guidelines for IBS. For example, I dredge the stew meat in a cup of GF seasoned flour and then brown it (mom browned the meat as is). I also add butter because the French part of me believes the French directive for making any recipe taste better: “mettre dans le beurre.” (Put In The Butter!)
The original recipe was perfumed with delicate herbs, a lovely pinot gregio, the fresh mushrooms and the tiny white onions. Sadly, I had to eliminate the onions and substitute 1/2 cup of thinly sliced, green onion stems (no white part), but the stew still retains a lovely hint of onions. The porcini mushrooms are strongly earthy with a better mushroom flavor than the original white button ones, and one tablespoon of porcini mushrooms is low fodmap. The wine is as lovely in the low fodmap version as it is in the original.
This recipe, converted now to low fodmap, still retains its simple directions, ease of transport and freezer friendly qualities. I can make the stew the day before and reheat it; I can make the buttered noodles the day before and reheat them; I can make the cabbage salad the day before and chill it in the fridge; I can greet my guests without rushing around trying to finish things while they crowd into the kitchen pummeling me with questions, and it will still taste wonderful when I serve it.
I have gotten so many brownie points for bringing this dish to sick friends or to a potluck, and I know it will turn out no matter what. Other dishes I have tried to transport didn’t fare as well – like the tomato sauce that spilled on the floor of my front seat and my car smelled like pizza for months, or the whipped cream cake (what the heck was I thinking) that flew off the back seat when I made a sudden stop. I still sob over that disaster.
No folks, make this low fodmap veal stew, put it in a safely covered container, go off to feed the sick, and nothing bad will happen.
Ingredients:
1 lb. veal stew meat
1/2 – 1 cup of thinly sliced light green stems of scallions, spring onions or leeks
2 peeled garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup white wine (or even a bold red is good in here)
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
1 pkg of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked, strained, dried and chopped (1 Tbsp. of porcini mushrooms is low fodmap. (Make sure your serving does not contain more than that amount.)
1/4 cup mild olive oil (not extra virgin), or more as needed for browning
1 cup of GF flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, seasoned salt (optional)
2 – 4 tbsp. butter
1 lb. wide egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Slice and then chop finely the sliced green onion stems. Set them aside.
With a paper towel, pat the stew meat chunks dry and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Place flour in a zip lock plastic bag. Add the meat, close it up and shake until meat is coated with flour.
Take out a heavy dutch oven and over medium high heat, heat the 1/4 cup oil in the pot. Add the cut up garlic cloves and stir them around in the oil until the cloves take on some color and have permeated the oil with flavor. Remove the garlic cloves.
Brown the meat in batches, adding a bit more oil, if needed, to allow the meat to brown well. Take out the meat as it browns and reserve in a separate bowl. Add the chopped scallion stems and stir them around until they soften and become translucent.
Add the chopped mushrooms and stir them around until they darken and combine well with the sliced onion/scallion stems.
Add the cup of wine and bring to a boil. Stir the pot well to make sure all the browned bits loosen and combine with the liquid in the pan.
Add the browned meat, the chopped herbs, salt, pepper. Stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir well. Add 2 tbsp of butter and stir well. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. I sometimes place the stew in a crock pot on low for 4 hours, check for tenderness and if not falling apart tender, I continue cooking it for another hour or so until the veal is tender.
In the meantime, put 4 quarts of water in a pasta pot and bring to a boil. Throw in some salt and add the noodles. Boil them for 4 to 7 minutes. Drain them in a colander in the sink. Add them back into the pot and add in the 2 tbsp of butter stirring the noodles until all are coated. Keep the lid on the pot to keep them warm until the stew is ready.
Serve the stew on a bed of buttered noodles, accompanied by a cidery cabbage slaw.
Low Fodmap Veal Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb veal stew meat
- 1/2 cup green onion and scallion stems sliced and chopped
- 2 peeled garlic cloves sliced
- 1 pkg dried porcini mushrooms soaked, strained and diced
- 1 cup GF flour (or AP flour if you can handle it) seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
- 1/4 cup mild olive oil not extra virgin
- 2 - 4 tbsp butter
- 1 lb wide egg noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice and chop the scallion, onion or leek stems finely. With a paper towel, pat the stew meat chunks dry and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Place GF flour in a zip lock plastic bag. Add the meat, close it up and shake until meat is coated with flour.
- Take out a heavy dutch oven and over medium high heat, heat the 1/4 cup oil in the pot. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir them around in the oil until the cloves take on some color and have permeated the oil with flavor. Remove the garlic cloves.
- Brown the meat in batches, adding a bit more oil, if needed, to allow the meat to brown well. Take out the meat as it browns and reserve in a separate bowl. Add the sliced green onion stems and stir them around until they soften and become translucent.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and stir them around until they darken and combine well with the onion stems.
- Add the cup of wine and bring to a boil. Stir the pot well to make sure all the browned bits loosen and combine with the liquid in the pan.
- Add the browned meat, the chopped herbs, salt, pepper. Stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir well. Add 2 tbsp of butter and stir well. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. OR place the stew in a crock pot and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until the veal is very tender.
- In the meantime, put 4 quarts of water in a pasta pot and bring to a boil. Throw in some salt and add the noodles. Boil them for 4 to 7 minutes. Drain them in a colander in the sink. Add them back into the pot and add in the 2 tbsp of butter stirring the noodles until all are coated. Keep the lid on the pot to keep them warm until the stew is ready.
- Serve the stew on a bed of buttered noodles, accompanied by a cidery cabbage slaw.
