“This is made with the upper part of the flank of a loin of veal (or sometimes that of the fillet) covered with a stuffing of sage and onions, then rolled, and roasted or broiled. It is served with brown gravy and apple sauce, is extremely savoury, and has many admirers.” We transcribe the exact receipt for this dish, which was procured for us from a house in the city, which is famed for it. We had it tested with the skin of the best end of a fine neck of veal, from which it was pared with something more than an inch depth of the flesh adhering to it. It was roasted one hour, and answered extremely well. It is a convenient mode of dressing the flank of the veal for eaters who do not object to the somewhat coarse savour of the preparation. When the tendrons or gristles of a breast, or part of a breast of veal, are required for a separate dish, the remaining portion of the joint may be dressed in this way after the bones have been taken out; or, without removing them, the stuffing may be inserted under the skin.
KNUCKLE OF VEAL EN RAGOUT.
Cut in small thick slices the flesh of a knuckle of veal, season it with a little fine salt and white pepper, flour it lightly, and fry it in butter to a pale brown, lay it into a very clean stewpan or saucepan, and just cover it with boiling water; skim it clean, and add to it a faggot of thyme and parsley, the white part of a head of celery, a small quantity of cayenne, and a blade or two of mace. Stew it very softly from an hour and three quarters to two hours and a half. Thicken and enrich the gravy if needful with rice-flour and mushroom catsup or Harvey’s sauce, or with a large teaspoonful of flour, mixed with a slice of butter, a little good store-sauce and a glass of sherry or Madeira. Fried forcemeat balls of No. 1, Chapter VIII. may be added at pleasure. With an additional quantity of water, or of broth (made with the bones of the joint), a pint and a half of young green peas stewed with the veal for an hour will give an agreeable variety of this dish.
BOILED KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
After the joint has been trimmed and well washed, put it into a vessel well adapted to it in size, for if it be very large, so much water will be required that the veal will be deprived of its flavour; it should be well covered with it, and very gently boiled until it is perfectly tender in every part, but not so much done as to separate from the bone. Clear off the scum with scrupulous care when the simmering first commences, and throw in a small portion of salt; as this, if sparingly used, will not redden the meat, and will otherwise much improve it. Parsley and butter is usually both poured over, and sent to table with a knuckle of veal, and boiled bacon also should accompany it. From the sinewy nature of this joint, it requires more than the usual time of cooking, a quarter of an hour to the pound not being sufficient for it.
Veal 6 to 7 lbs.: 2 hours or more.
KNUCKLE OF VEAL WITH RICE.
Pour over a small knuckle of veal rather more than sufficient water to cover it; bring it slowly to a boil; take off all the scum with great care, throw in a teaspoonful of salt, and when the joint has simmered for about half an hour, throw in from eight to twelve ounces of well washed rice, and stew the veal gently for an hour and a half longer, or until both the meat and rice are perfectly tender. A seasoning of cayenne and mace in fine powder with more salt, should it be required, must be added twenty or thirty minutes before they are served. For a superior stew good veal broth may be substituted for the water.
Veal, 6 lbs.; water, 3 to 4 pints; salt, 1 teaspoonful: 30 to 40 minutes. Rice, 8 to 12 oz.: 1-1/2 hour.
Obs.—A quart or even more of full grown green peas added to the veal as soon as the scum has been cleared off will make a most excellent stew. It should be well seasoned with white pepper, and the mace should be omitted. Two or three cucumbers, pared and freed from the seeds, may be sliced into it when it boils, or four or five young lettuces shred small may be added instead. Green onions also, when they are liked, may be used to give it flavour.