Veal Roulades With Pine Nuts And Pistachios Food

VEAL ROULADE WITH ITALIAN

Steps:

• Rinse basil, shake dry and pluck off leaves.
• Rinse veal cutlets under cold water, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Cover each cutlet with 1 slice of ham and a few basil leaves. Grate Parmesan, sprinkle on cutlets and roll up cutlets, secure with toothpicks.
• Peel carrots, rinse celery. Cut both into thin, long strips.
• Peel garlic and shallot and chop finely.
• Heat oil in a roasting pan. Cook veal rolls for about 4 minutes or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Saute shallot and garlic in the same pan, add carrots and celery and saute for 3 mintues. Deglaze pan with broth. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and arrange rolls on the vegetables. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
• Rinse parsley, shake dry and chop. Arrange meat and vegetables on plates and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

VEAL ROULADES

Steps:

• With a knife, chop the lardo and mix it with 6 tablespoons minced fennel fronds, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced marjoram, 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds, a pinch of salt and a grind of fresh pepper.
• Spread this minced mixture on the veal slices, fold the long sides in and roll them up to form roulades. Fasten them closed with toothpicks. In a pan, melt a pat of butter and cook the roulades in it for 4-5 minutes, turning them so they brown evenly. Add salt to taste. Cut the radishes into chunks, remove the toothpicks from the roulades and serve them with the radishes.

BRAISED BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Prepare the bread stuffing by soaking the bread in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk with your hands then put the bread in a clean mixing bowl. Add parsley, cheese, garlic, copacola, pine nuts, and raisins. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil to moisten and mix thoroughly.
• Set the veal on a piece of plastic wrap. Make a deep slice along the veal breast and fan open like a book. Lay another piece of plastic wrap on top. Using the smooth side of a mallet, gently flatten the veal until it's about 1/2-inch thick; take care not to tear. Discard the top sheet of plastic wrap; rub the surface with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Place the eggs lengthwise down the center of the meat and roll up like a jellyroll log, using the plastic wrap as support. Tie the roll with kitchen string to secure.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Brown the stuffed veal roast well on all sides. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 1 hour.
• Alternatively, deglaze with red wine, then pour tomato sauce on top to cover the braciole. Cover the pan and gently simmer for about 1 hour until tender.
• To serve, remove the strings from the veal bundle and cut into 1-inch slices. Arrange on a serving platter, with or without sauce.

BONED STUFFED CHICKEN WITH VEAL AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Clean and wash the chicken, and cut off the wing tips and leg ends to make the removal of the skin possible. Singe the chicken over a flame to loosen the skin from the flesh. Carefully pull the skin right off, as though undressing the chicken, taking care not to tear it, starting from the neck and pulling it off the legs last. It will come right off with the occasional help of a pointed knife. Wash the skin, turn it right side out, and put it aside.
• Cut the skinned chicken into quarters, put them in a saucepan, and cover with water. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, and simmer gently until the chicken is very tender-about 30-45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool in the stock. Drain and keep the stock.
• Bone the chicken, discarding nerves and tendons, and grind or chop the meat finely. Put it in a large bowl, mix in the ground veal, and season with salt and pepper. Knead very well, then add the pistachio nuts and work them into the mixture.
• Using a needle and strong thread, sew up all but the largest vent in the chicken skin and darn any holes. Stuff the skin carefully with the chicken-and-veal mixture, and re-form as nearly as possible in its original shape. Sew the opening tightly.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large pan, put in the stuffed chicken, and turn to brown it lightly all over. Add the lemon juice and about half a ladle of the stock. Simmer gently, covered, for about 1 hour, turning the chicken over, and adding more stock, half a ladle at a time, if it becomes dry. At the end of the cooking time, the veal should be well cooked and almost blended with the chicken, and the sauce much reduced. Remove from the heat and allow to cool overnight in its own sauce.
• Serve cold. Traditionally, the chicken is served already cut in thick slices, but I think it looks rather beautiful with its subdued boneless shape, served whole and sliced at the table.
• A version said to be for lazy cooks is just as delicious, though not as dramatic. Cook the chicken as in the recipe for sofrito (page 213), adding just a pinch of turmeric or none at all. When cool, skin it and remove the bones and tendons. Grind or chop the flesh and mix it with the ground veal, 1 egg, and a handful of chopped pistachios. Knead thoroughly and roll into a thick sausage shape. Sauté in 2 tablespoons hot oil, turning it until golden all over. Add water, a little at a time, as it becomes absorbed, and simmer gently, covered, until well cooked, turning it over once. Allow to cool in its sauce for several hours before serving. Serve cut in slices.