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Fricandó
Braised veal with mushrooms
Fricandó: Catalan braised veal with wild moixernon mushrooms and picada
Fricandó is the dish that Barcelona grandmothers cook for a family Sunday or a saint's day: thin slices of veal, floured and browned, then braised slowly in a dark sofrito with dried moixernons, the spring St George's mushroom, and finished with a picada of almonds and hazelnuts. It is better reheated the next day. Dried porcini or mixed wild mushrooms work if you cannot find moixernons. The recipe uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Chef's tip: cook the onions until truly dark, almost jammy; that deep brown sofrito is where the sauce gets its colour and sweetness.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb veal topsidecut into 8 thin slices, about 5 mm
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoesgrated
- ½ cup dry white winealcohol-free: 100 ml extra stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups beef or chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
For the picada
- ½ oz blanched almondstoasted
- ½ oz hazelnutstoasted
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 1 oz dried moixernons or other dried wild mushrooms in 300 ml warm water for 30 minutes. Lift them out and rinse off any grit; strain and keep the soaking water.
30 minStep 2: Season 1 ½ lb veal topside with 1 tsp salt and dust with 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, shaking off the excess.
Step 3: Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the veal in batches for 1–2 minutes a side, until golden. Lift onto a plate.
8 minStep 4: Lower the heat, add 2 onions and cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of water if it catches, until dark golden-brown and jammy.
25 minStep 5: Add 2 ripe tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until the sofrito is thick and almost dry. Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and bubble for 2 minutes until the smell of alcohol has gone.
12 minStep 6: Return the veal with 1 ¾ cups beef or chicken stock, the mushroom water, 1 bay leaf and 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
45 minStep 7: Pound ½ oz blanched almonds, ½ oz hazelnuts, 2 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley into a paste. Stir it into the casserole with the mushrooms and simmer for 10–15 minutes more, until the veal is tender enough to cut with a spoon and the sauce coats it thickly. A common mistake is boiling it hard: the thin slices turn stringy.
15 minStep 8: Remove the bay and thyme and serve with bread or mashed potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fricandó take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried moixernons or other dried wild mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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