Paupiettes de Veau

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Smooth meat mallet or rolling pin
• •Parchment paper
• •Kitchen twine
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy lidded sauté pan or shallow casserole
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Potato ricer or sturdy masher
• •Warm oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the veal

   Lay each escalope between two sheets of parchment and pound from the centre outward until it is an even ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick and roughly 4 × 2 inches (10 × 5 cm). Trim ragged edges and add the trimmings to the ground veal. Season both sides of the slices with ¾ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper in total. If a slice tears, overlap the torn edges by ½ inch (1 cm) and tap them together gently through the parchment. Ça se rattrape. Even thinness matters more than perfect rectangles.

   Ask the butcher to cut the escalopes from veal round and pound them once. You can finish the thinning at home with a smooth meat mallet or rolling pin.
2. 2

   Mix the forcemeat

   Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together and leave them for 5 minutes to make a panade, a milk-soaked bread binder. Add the cold ground veal, egg yolk, shallot, parsley, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix firmly with a wooden spoon until the forcemeat becomes slightly tacky and holds together. Fry a teaspoonful in a small dab of the browning butter until cooked through, then taste. If the raw mixture feels loose, chill it for 10 minutes; if it still slumps, work in another spoonful of breadcrumbs. If it feels stiff, mix in a teaspoon of milk. The filling must spread without running.

3. 3

   Roll and tie

   Divide the forcemeat into 8 equal portions. Set one portion on each veal slice and spread it in a thin, even coat, leaving a ¼-inch (6 mm) border. Roll from a short end into a compact scroll with the forcemeat inside. If using bacon, wrap one half-rasher around each roll. Tie each paupiette once around the middle and, if the ends flare, add a second loop. The string should hold the scroll without cutting into it. If filling pushes from an end, unwrap the paupiette, remove a spoonful, and roll again. Ça se rattrape, and it is better corrected here than in the casserole.

4. 4

   Brown the scrolls

   Melt the remaining browning butter in a heavy, lidded sauté pan or shallow casserole over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the paupiettes seam-side down, working in two batches if necessary. Brown them patiently on every side until Maillard bronze, about 7 minutes per batch, then lift them to a plate. Keep the heat moderate if you used bacon so its fat renders without scorching. Leave the brown film on the pan floor. That fond is the beginning of the sauce.

5. 5

   Build the braise

   Lower the heat and add the onion and carrot to the casserole. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Pour in the wine and scrape up every trace of fond with a wooden spoon. Reduce by half, until the wine smells round rather than sharp. Add 2 cups (480 ml / 480 g) of the stock and the bouquet garni, reserving the final ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g). Return the paupiettes seam-side down; the liquid should reach about halfway up their sides.

6. 6

   Braise at a tremble

   Bring the liquid only to a bare tremble, cover the casserole, and transfer it to a 325°F (160°C) oven. Braise for 60 to 70 minutes, turning the paupiettes once, until the veal yields easily to a knife and the centre of the forcemeat reaches 160°F (71°C). A hard boil contracts the veal and can split the scrolls. If the liquid has boiled fiercely, remove the casserole from the oven, add 2 tablespoons of the reserved cold stock, reduce the oven to 300°F (150°C), and continue gently. Ça se rattrape.

   Check after 40 minutes. If the casserole looks dry around the edges, add enough reserved stock to restore the liquid to one-third of the paupiettes' height.
7. 7

   Make the purée

   While the paupiettes braise, cover the celery root and potatoes with cold water in a saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a gentle boil, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until both collapse readily beneath a knife. Drain thoroughly, return them to the dry pan for 1 minute, then pass them through a ricer or mash until smooth. Warm the cream, fold it into the vegetables, then beat in the softened butter and ¼ teaspoon pepper. If the purée is loose, stir it over low heat until it holds a soft mound; if it is tight, loosen it with a spoonful of warm cream.

8. 8

   Reduce and mount

   Lift the cooked paupiettes to a warm plate and cover loosely. Discard the bouquet garni, then strain the braising liquid into the cleaned casserole, pressing the vegetables lightly before discarding them. Skim excess fat and boil the liquid steadily until about 1 cup (240 ml) remains and it naps the back of a spoon, meaning it coats without running off at once. Remove the casserole from the heat and monter au beurre, gloss the sauce with cold butter, by swirling in the cubes one at a time. If the butter separates into greasy beads, whisk in a teaspoon of cold reserved stock off the heat. Ça se rattrape. Taste and use the remaining salt and pepper only if needed.

9. 9

   Untie and serve

   Rest the paupiettes for 5 minutes, then cut away every loop of string without disturbing the scrolls. Spread the purée de céleri-rave across a warm oval platter, arrange the paupiettes over it, and spoon the glossy sauce generously across their tops and around the purée. Serve two per person. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The classical entry permits forcemeat or very fine mincemeat without prescribing a separate formula. This small veal forcemeat uses a panade and egg yolk because they give one home cook a filling that spreads neatly, stays moist, and holds its scroll without a professional mincer.
• •Choose veal round rather than a thick loin chop. The butcher's first pounding saves time, but inspect the slices before leaving: they should be broad, even, and free of heavy seams that will resist rolling.
• •The bacon is faithful but optional. Use it when the veal is exceptionally lean, and choose thin unsmoked rashers so the veal and braising sauce remain the main flavours.
• •Serve with a dry white Burgundy or a light, bright Beaujolais. The first follows the butter and veal; the second has enough freshness to meet the forcemeat without overwhelming it.

Advance Preparation

• •The paupiettes can be filled, rolled, and tied up to 1 day ahead. Arrange them in a covered dish in the refrigerator, then let them stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before browning.
• •For the best dinner-party rhythm, braise the paupiettes 1 day ahead and chill them promptly in their strained braising liquid. Reheat them covered at 300°F (150°C) until hot through, then remove the rolls, reduce the sauce, and monter au beurre just before serving.
• •The purée can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface and reheat it over low heat with a spoonful of cream, beating until smooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 580g)