French Provincial Cooking - Elizabeth David [214]
Quantities for two people, apart from two fine escalopes, cut slightly on the bias from the wide part of the leg and without seams, but not beaten out too flat, are half a sweet apple, pint of thick cream, butter, seasonings, Calvados.
Cut the peeled half apple into little cubes; season the meat plentifully with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Melt about 1 oz. of butter in a thick frying-pan. When it starts to foam, put in the meat, let it take colour rapidly on each side; add the apple cubes. Heat a liqueur glass (about 2 tablespoons) of Calvados in a little pan; set light to it. Pour it flaming over the meat, at the same time turning up the heat under the pan. Rotate the pan until the flames die down. Pour in the cream. Lower the heat. Cook gently another 2 minutes or so, stirring the sauce and scraping up the juices all the time. As soon as the cream has thickened, transfer the meat to the serving dish, arrange the apple cubes on top of each escalope and pour the sauce all round.
Cognac, Armagnac, marc, or even whisky, which, curiously enough, is the best substitute, can be used instead of Calvados, but then, of course, it is no longer quite the dish of the Pays de Caux.
Although triangles of bread fried in butter would not be out of place as a garnish, vegetables should be kept until afterwards, as always with these creamy dishes, for one doesn’t want them floating about the plate and getting mixed up with the sauce. Also, however tempted one may be to cook the whole apple just for the sake of using it up, it would be a mistake to do so. It is just that little hint of a sweet taste and contrasting texture that gives the dish its originality. More would be heavy-handed.
ESCALOPES À LA SAVOYARDE (1)
ESCALOPES OF VEAL WITH VERMOUTH AND CREAM SAUCE
For two escalopes cut from the topside or thick flank of veal, each weighing approximately 3 oz., the other ingredients are 1 oz. of butter, pint of thick cream, 4 or 5 tablespoons of dry white vermouth (in the Savoie they use the local Chambéry vermouth), and seasonings.
Season your escalopes with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook them rapidly on each side in the foaming butter; pour in the vermouth; let it bubble. Moderate the heat. Add the cream. Shake the pan so that the cream and wine amalgamate; now lower the heat again and simmer another 3 or 4 minutes, until the cream has thickened.
ESCALOPES À LA SAVOYARDE (2)
ESCALOPES OF VEAL WITH VERMOUTH AND CREAM SAUCE
Miniature escalopes cut either from the filet mignon or from the narrow end of one of the larger leg cuts can be treated in the same way. Allow two to four per person according to size (these miniature escalopes are not necessarily cheaper than the large ones, but as I have already explained in the introductory note they often represent better value). Instead of partially lowering the heat when the cream is added, leave it as high as possible. The cream will start to thicken almost immediately. Shake the pan, spooning the cream up and over the meat, and serve the minute the sauce is thick. It comes out a beautiful pale coffee colour.
It is always difficult to decide what vegetables, if any, should go with these creamy veal dishes. On the whole it is best simply to serve a few little croûtons fried in butter, or some small plain boiled potatoes as a garnish, and to keep green vegetables for a separate course.
CÔTES DE VEAU A L’ARDENNAISE
VEAL CHOPS BAKED IN THE OVEN
Have four very thick veal chops cut from the loin, each weighing about 6 oz., or, better still, get slices weighing about 4 oz. each from the boned and rolled loin; prepare a seasoning of a dozen dried and crushed juniper berries, salt, freshly-milled black pepper, and dried marjoram or thyme; squeeze lemon juice over the meat and then rub the seasoning well in.
Chop a small onion and dice 3 carrots; melt a good lump of butter in a shallow flame-proof dish; put in your onion and carrots and when they start to turn pale golden add the meat; let it