Veal Ragout
Europe on a Plate - Second Course
Do you know them, these puff pastry cups or shells which are served holding ragout? I fondly remember them from growing up in The Netherlands. It might seem a bit old-fashioned, but it still is excellent. And an example of a pan-European dish. It, or variations on it, is consumed in many countries, especially when the ragout is made from veal. The Dutch, Germans, French, we all have our traditional way of preparing and serving veal ragout.
In France, the variation is known as blanquette de veau, and the main ingredient readily available in the stores. Contrary to what I was used to in The Netherlands, where veal is simply not consumed en masse. But I digress. Back to the food itself.
To make a good ragout, it starts with the meat. In this case the veal. You have to simmer it properly, and the stock you get from that is key for the ragout sauce. So, here is where you can make a difference. I fried some shallots, garlic and carrot. You can add the traditional celery stalks, or as I did a bit of diced paprika. Then drop in the meat and let it brown for a bit. Then add water and herbs like the traditional bay leave. Let simmer for about an hour and a half. Then take out and pull apart the veal.
Another thing many European countries share is a colonial past. Not as colonies, but as colonists. One of the things that part of our shared history brought to our continent is flavors from far and wide. And people. I am a product of that colonial past, and that is why I often use Asian flavours when I cook. For this ragout, I added lime leaf and Laos (as it is known in Indonesia, elsewhere it's also known as galangal) to the broth in which the veal was simmering. When finishing the ragout, I added Ketjap Manis, a sweet Indonesian soy sauce, for a bit of depth of flavour in the ragout.
Have you ever made veal ragout? What’s your secret ingredient?
Europe on a Plate
Some people say that there is no shared culture in Europe. That we are all different. And of course, we are, but with many threads that connect us. One of these threads can be found on our plates. We are connected through the things we eat. Sometimes it's obvious (pizza anyone?), and other times maybe less so. In this new series, sent to you every second I'm sharing with you some less obvious food connections. It's in our connections, in this case on our plates, that we find understanding for each other, and with that comes the empathy we need more of.
If you have an idea for food I should get to know, don't hesitate to share it in the comments!
