Not to worry; you won’t have to count the garlic cloves that go into this stew. But you will love the mellow flavor that the garlic develops when cooked under pressure along with sage, white wine, and tomatoes. This dish is a takeoff on a French dish introduced to Americans by James Beard-chicken with forty cloves of garlic. That was back in the days when polite society didn’t eat much garlic, and Beard’s readers were shocked. Serve the stew over mashed potatoes, pappardelle (flat, long pasta noodles), or polenta. And don’t forget to provide plenty of crusty bread to dip into the sauce.
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds veal stew meat, or 3 pounds veal shoulder chops, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
- 3 garlic bulbs, separated into cloves and peeled
- 4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or dry vermouth
- One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes with their juice
- 1 cup beef stock (page 20) or store-bought beef broth
- 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the meat evenly with the salt and pepper, add to the pressure cooker and brown, in batches if necessary. Return the browned meat to the pan and add the garlic, carrots, dried sage, wine, tomatoes, and stock. Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam. Stir in the fresh sage, taste the sauce for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately
