Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [16]
Now, despite what other recipes may tell you, breast of veal isn’t usually manageable whole, at least not for me. I don’t have a roasting pan that big. Much better to have your butcher cut it in half. (If he requires you to buy the whole thing, freeze the other half.) The thicker half of the breast will take about an extra half hour longer to cook than the thinner half. Because veal breast contains bones and cartilage, despite its size, this wide, flat piece of meat will feed fewer people than you think.
½ veal breast, about 5 pounds (2.25 kg)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Vidalia or other sweet onions, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
1 cup (250 ml) White Veal Stock (page 13)
8 to 10 thin slices prosciutto
1 bunch arugula, shredded
1 lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1.Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the veal breast dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat and brown the veal on both sides. Transfer to a platter.
2.Lower the heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the onions, celery, carrots, and leek and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and just beginning to color.
3.Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic, wine, and stock and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
4.Place the veal on top of the vegetables, bone side down. Cover the veal with a damp piece of parchment paper and then cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and cook for 2/2 to 3 hours.
5.Uncover the veal and place the prosciutto slices on top of the meat, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and cook the veal, uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the prosciutto is crisp. Transfer the veal to a warmed serving platter and let it rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes.
6.Meanwhile, strain the braising liquid through a sieve into a large glass measuring cup; transfer the vegetables to a bowl. You will have about 1½ cups (375 ml) cooking liquid. Stir the arugula into the warm vegetables until it wilts. Transfer the vegetables to the serving platter with the veal.
7.Skim the fat from the cooking liquid, and pour it back into the roasting pan. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon, then cut it in half and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from it. Add the zest to the cooking liquid. Mix the lemon juice with the cornstarch and whisk into the liquid. Bring to a boil, whisking until the sauce thickens. Strain, and check the seasoning.
8.Carve the breast between the bones and serve with the vegetables and sauce.
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Why Parchment Paper?
I’m no stranger to parchment paper; I use it for baking and I love cooking en papillote and make parchment paper circles to protect sauces, but, until I began working on Bones, I never used it for braising. I discovered the technique in Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook. Keller uses parchment paper circles instead of lids. However, I use them with lids to protect the meat and keep the moisture in the dish. I wet the paper first so it softens and sits down on the meat. This also means I can just tear off a piece and not have to cut it precisely to fit my pot. When the dish is cooked, I leave the parchment on top of the cooling meat to prevent its surface from drying out.
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Four Bones in One Pot
Sometimes we forget how good food can be. This recipe has vegetables and three different cuts of meat all in one pot, plus there