I recently reviewed a lovely book Prime by Richard H. Turner. He’s a meat guru: a butcher, a restaurateur, a chef, and a writer with exceptional skills.
London-based, Richard’s book has a full array of beef recipes from both Britain and around the world. Here’s dish from Normandy that is the epitome of French food. Paupiettes are made from meat, beaten thin, rolled around a stuffing, then cooked by being fried or braised or perhaps baked in wine or stock. It’s bit time intensive so many French families take a shortcut: you can find paupiettes made in advance in butcher stores and supermarkets.
I think homemade is better. Try this recipe and I bet you’ll agree.
Paupiettes of Veal
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 16 smoked streaky bacon rashers
- 2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 ½ ounces wild mushrooms, finely
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
- ¼ ounce fresh breadcrumbs
- ½ bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 1 pound 5 ounces of veal fillet
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
- 14 ounces beef broth
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 ½ ounces heavy cream
- Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Finely chop half the bacon and fry over a medium heat with the onions and mushrooms for about 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Drain and set aside in a medium bowl, returning the bacon fat to the pan. Add the lemon zest, breadcrumbs, parsley, half the mustard and the beaten egg to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine thoroughly, then set aside.
Cut the veal fillet into 8 even escalopes. Place each piece between 2 sheets of cling film and flatten, using a mallet or a rolling pin, then season each piece liberally with salt and black pepper and a few thyme leaves.
Spoon some of the reserved stuffing into the center of each slice of veal, distributing evenly. Gather the edges up to create a round pouch, then wrap each pouch around its circumference with a bacon rasher and secure with butcher’s string.
Heat the pan of reserved bacon fat over a medium-high heat and brown the veal paupiettes on all sides. Add just enough broth to cover and allow to simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, the cream and remaining mustard to the sauce, then bring to a simmer and serve with a potato dish such as a mash or gratin.
Source: Prime by Richard H. Turner [Michell Beazley, 2017]