Veal gueuze casserole

SERVES 4

25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for pan-frying, if needed

1 large leek, white part only, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

35 g (1¼ oz/¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

700 g (1 lb 9 oz) boned veal, cut into 4 cm (1½ inch) chunks

70 g (2½ oz) good fatty speck, finely sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

two 330 ml (11¼ fl oz) bottles of gueuze ale

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) good chicken stock

110 g (3¾ oz/½ cup) pearl barley

2 carrots, roughly chopped

zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

PAN-FRIED HERBS

25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3).

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the leek and sweat it for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan and keep warm.

Season the flour well with plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use it to coat the veal, shaking off any excess. Add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed, increase the heat to high and brown the veal – you may need to do this in two batches. Add the speck and fry with the veal for 4–5 minutes, then return the leek and garlic to the pan. Add the cumin, coriander and cardamom and mix through well; cook for several minutes.

Add half the gueuze and deglaze the dish, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom. Add the remaining gueuze and the stock and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the barley, stirring it through while bringing the liquid back to a simmer. Place a lid on the casserole and put it in the oven. Bake for 1 hour.

When the veal has been in the oven for nearly an hour, pan-fry the herbs. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and when hot, add the mint and parsley. Fry over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring often.

Stir the fried herbs through the veal, then add the carrot. Taste for seasoning and add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Put the lid back on and return to the oven for 30–40 minutes more, or until the veal is very tender.

Very finely chop together the lemon zest and remaining parsley. Serve the veal garnished with the lemon zest mixture.

Beer Notes

Gueuze (which is pronounced gooz-eh) – is a Belgian specialty from the early 1500s. It is made in the lambic style and is a blend of one-year-old and three-year-old lambic. It is sweet, sour, quite tart and effervescent – a ‘champagne’ type of beer. Brands we can buy in Australia include Timmermans, Lindeman’s, Mort Subite, Cantillon and Belle-Vue