Macaroni with Veal
Christmas Recipes Veal Pasta Meat Dishes Croatian
This dish is a specialty from the village of Zrnovo on the island of Korčula. The pasta is made at home and then a veal sauce is prepared alongside it. I tried them at the same Konoba Maha, where they explained how to make homemade pasta, but they didn't reveal the sauce recipe, which is secret, passed down from generation to generation. You can imagine how amazed I was when I tasted the sauce and realized it has exactly the same taste as the veal stew my mother makes 😉 I only added a few flavors used on the island (bay leaf, oregano and wine - a Pošip to be exact) and the result was perfect!
Ingredients
400g homemade macaroni
Veal stew
500g veal
1 large onion
1/2 red bell pepper
100ml dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt
3 tablespoons oil
Servings: 4
How to prepare macaroni with veal
- Put a pot with 1 liter of water on the stove and keep it hot the entire time while making the stew.
- Cut the meat into cubes.
- Grind the onion and pepper in a food processor until they become a paste (or grate them).
* you can use red onion, it's specific to Korčula cuisine - Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the onion and pepper paste until the raw onion smell disappears.
- Add the veal cubes and fry, stirring frequently, until they change color.
- Deglaze with wine and let it evaporate.
- Remove the pot from heat and add the paprika, pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Mix well and add 2 ladles of hot water.
- Bring the stew to a boil, cover and simmer over very low heat (just enough for the stew to gently bubble), for 30 minutes. Check it during this time so the water doesn't reduce too much and burn.
- After 30 minutes the sauce should be thick. Add salt to taste and 2 more ladles of hot water. Continue simmering covered for another 30 minutes.
- Now check the meat and if it's well cooked (melts in your mouth) remove the lid and cook just until the sauce reduces and becomes creamy. If the meat isn't cooked, add another ladle of water and cook covered until the meat is tender. Taste for salt.
- When the stew is ready, cook the macaroni in plenty of salted water. Drain well, put in the sauce and mix. Serve warm. They're also good reheated.
* you can also use store-bought macaroni
The meat cut into cubes
Sautéing the onion and pepper paste
Frying the meat and adding the seasonings
Adding water and simmering
Veal stew
Zrnovo-style macaroni at Konoba Maha
