Joan Withcher of Chicago sent in this Czechoslovakian recipe that has been passed down through several generations of her family. “This special-occasion dish is usually requested as a birthday meal,” she wrote.
If you have an old family favorite you would like to share, send the recipe and information about it to Good Eating. If we test it and print it in this column, you’ll receive a gift certificate for $25 to Marshall Field’s. Send your recipe, along with your name, address and daytime phone number to: Heirloom Cooking, Good Eating section, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-4041; you also could fax it (312-755-0212) or send it via e-mail: ctc-goodeating@tribune.com. Recipes submitted become the property of the Chicago Tribune.
Veal paprika fricassee with dumplings
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Veal:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 pounds veal, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cups regular or low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 cup milk
Dumplings:
2 eggs
1 box (14 ounces) cracker meal or 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups finely crushed saltine crackers
1 1/2 cups regular or low-fat milk
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. For veal, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the veal in batches. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is browned all over, about 8 minutes. Remove veal; reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Return the veal to the pan; stir in broth. Increase heat to medium-high; heat mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork-tender, about 1 hour. Stir together sour cream, flour and paprika in a small bowl; stir into the fricassee. Stir in the milk; cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, for the dumplings, mix together the eggs, cracker meal, milk, parsley, butter, salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl to form a dry dough. Form mixture into 24 dumplings with a tablespoon. Place in stew; cover. Cook until dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
636 calories, 43% of calories from fat, 30 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, 52 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 691 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
