Most people think of veal as small cute calves that they couldn't possibly eat. I believe this notion is because of a lack of understanding and knowledge in the product.
In Europe, veal is as widely used as beef or lamb but in New Zealand, despite our large dairy industry, we are only just starting to recognise its potential.
Forget any squeamishness, veal is essentially young beef (up to 280kg live-weight), and can be sorted into two basic categories: milk-fed and Rose veal.
Both are great, but I am a big supporter of Rose veal, which comes from animals that have had access to the outdoors, room to move, grass to eat, as well as milk, on which they obviously thrive.
Most New Zealand veal is raised this way and it just seems an obvious fit with our outdoor farming systems.
Specialist butchers are increasingly offering veal year-round and I have even seen it in local supermarkets as well.
Over the past two years we have raised our own veal for the restaurant, with great results.
Not only do we have complete control over the welfare and the raising of our calves, we are also able to utilise all the fabulous varieties of cuts that come with using a whole animal, including those not generally offered commercially.
Pale in colour, lean and more delicate in flavour than beef, veal naturally lends itself to a number of dishes.
For inspiration on how to use this amazing product, Europe is the obvious place to begin as they have been making the most of it for centuries. So, if you feel like giving your taste buds a holiday this spring, try veal.
Yet another gorgeous New Zealand product to add to your repertoire and shopping list.
Bevan and Monique Smith own the multi-award-winning Riverstone Kitchen restaurant. He is also author of Riverstone Kitchen: recipes from a chef's garden and Riverstone Kitchen Simple. The restaurant is on SH1 in North Otago, just south of the Waitaki bridge. www.riverstonekitchen.co.nz.
Veal skirt steak with vignole
Serves 2
Ingredients
350g veal skirt steak
sea salt and pepper
olive oil
vignole (see below)
extra virgin olive oil to finish
Vignole
200ml olive oil
red onion, peeled and finely diced
1½ cups broad beans
1½ cups baby peas
2 globe artichokes 1 cup of mint, picked and roughly chopped
75ml extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper
Wine match: A classic Italian pinot grigio
Method
Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper. Fry in a little olive in a very hot frying pan for three minutes on each side or until medium. Remove from pan and rest for five minutes.
Warm vignole in a small pot over a gentle heat and then divide between 2 plates. Slice skirt steak thinly and place on top of vignole. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Vignole
Heat half of the oil in a medium-sized pot over a low heat. Add onion and sweat for five minutes, without colour, until soft. Add broad beans, peas and two cups of water and simmer for 40 minutes until extremely soft and tender, adding a little more water as required to prevent vignole from sticking to the pot. Add half the mint to the vignole and set aside.
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to the boil. Add whole artichokes and boil for five minutes before removing and draining. Allow artichokes to cool, then remove tough outer leaves and trim stalk with a sharp paring knife. Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, slice artichokes and fry until just starting to brown. Remove artichokes from pan and stir into broad beans and peas with the remaining mint. Finish with extra virgin olive oil and season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
Blanquette of veal with crushed potatoes and fresh herbs
Serves 4
Ingredients
600g veal topside, cut into 2cm pieces
2 cups plain floursea salt and pepper
150ml olive oil
1 large brown onion, peeled and diced
1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, diced
2 bay leaves
1L chicken stock
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
herb oil (see below)150ml cream
4 large Agria potatoes, boiled
50g unsalted butter
1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup chives, finely chopped
Herb oil
1 cup Italian parsley, picked
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Wine match: A light Central Otago pinot noir
Method
Preheat oven to 170degC.
Toss veal pieces and 2 cups flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper in a large bowl until completely coated. Shake off excess flour and brown veal, in batches, in a hot heavy-based frying pan with a little olive oil over a high heat.
Transfer veal into an ovenproof roasting dish and sweat vegetables in the remaining olive oil until tender. Add vegetables, bay leaves and stock to roasting dish, cover with a piece of baking paper and seal with aluminium foil.
Place into oven and cook for 2 to 3 hours or until veal is very tender. Remove from oven and reserve in a warm place.
Melt butter in a small pot over a medium heat. Add 50g flour and cook for 1 minute before whisking in 1 cup of cooking juices from the veal roasting dish. Continue to whisk until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and stir with cream into the veal. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
Roughly crush hot potatoes in a small pot with a wooden spoon. Fold in 50g butter, parsley and chives. Divide between 4 bowls, spoon veal over the top and finish with herb oil.
Herb oil
Place parsley, thyme and salt into a mortar and grind to a smooth paste. Add garlic and crush until smooth. Add oil and muddle to combine.
Veal schnitzel with mashed potatoes,greens and lemon
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g veal sirloin
1½ cups plain flour
3 free-range eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
4 cups breadcrumbs
sea salt and pepper
150ml olive oil
100g unsalted butter
2 large lemons, quartered and seeds removed
mashed potatoes, warmed (see below)
6 cups mixed greens (sprouting broccoli, cavolo nero, chard, kale)
160ml jus, warmed (optional)
40ml extra virgin olive oil
Mashed potatoes
Serves 4
500g Agria potatoes, peeled and quartered
pinch of salt100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
fresh nutmeg, grated
salt and pepper
Wine match: A full buttery, oaky Marlborough chardonnay
Method
Slice veal sirloin in 1cm strips with a sharp knife. Place each strip between baking paper and flatten with a meat hammer until about 3mm thick.
Beat milk and eggs together in a large bowl.
Place flour and breadcrumbs in separate large bowls.
Coat veal first in flour, then in egg mixture and finally in breadcrumbs.
Heat 50ml olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry crumbed veal in batches until golden on both sides. Add knobs of butter and remaining olive oil throughout the process to stop pan from becoming too dry and burning veal.
Finish schnitzel with the juice from one lemon. Serve with mash, hot blanched greens, lemon wedge and jus if desired.
Mashed potatoes
Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked. Drain well then mash potatoes before folding in butter and seasoning to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
