SERVES 4 TO 6
“Fricandó, despite its clearly French origin, has acquired—like cannelloni, soundly Italian—a certificate of naturalization among us, and both have become, thanks to Catalan culinary genius and wit, dishes that are essentially ours.” So gushed the great, late food historian Néstor Luján. Despite fricandó’s foreign roots, he insisted, since the early nineteenth century, the Catalans have made it clearly Catalan.
This dish braises thin slices of veal with dried mushrooms and sweet wine. The most typical mushroom here is the small, aromatic, and flavorful moixernon (St. George’s mushroom). Some larger dried mushrooms might need more soaking time.
1. In a cazuela, heavy casserole, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the veal with salt and pepper, lightly dredge in flour, and pat to shake off the excess. Quickly brown in single-layer batches that don’t crowd the pan, about 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a large platter. Add a bit more oil to the pan if needed between batches.
2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the cazuela, reduce the heat to medium-low, and prepare a sofrito with the onion, tomatoes, and garlic, following the directions on page 39.
3. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with warm water, swish them around, and immediately pour off the water. Cover the damp mushrooms with 2 cups/480 ml warm water and let soak for 1 hour.
4. Return the veal to the pan and turn to coat. Pour in the Muscatel, turn over the pieces of veal, and let the alcohol burn off for 2 minutes before pouring in the stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and partly cover the pan. Cook, just letting bubbles slowly break the surface for 45 minutes, turning over the meat from time to time to keep it from sticking.
5. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Add the mushrooms and ½> cup/120 ml of the reserved liquid to the pan and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the veal is very tender. Add more reserved liquid if needed. The sauce should be like gravy. Serve from the cazuela.
