POITRINE DE VEAU GLACÉE.
(Breast of Veal Stewed and Glazed.)
When the gristles have been removed from a breast of veal, the joint will still make an excellent roast, or serve to stew or braise. Take out the long-bones,[[192]] beat the veal with the flat side of a cleaver, or with a cutlet-bat, and when it is quite even, cut it square, and sprinkle over it a moderate seasoning of fine salt, cayenne, and mace. Make some forcemeat by either of the receipts Nos. 1, 2, 3, or 7, of Chapter [VIII.], but increase the ingredients to three or four times the quantity, according to the size of the joint. Lay over the veal, or not, as is most convenient, thin slices of half-boiled bacon, or of ham; press the forcemeat into the form of a short compact rouleau and lay it in the centre of one side of the breast; then roll it up and skewer the ends closely with small skewers, and bind the joint firmly into good form with tape or twine. When thus prepared, it may be slowly stewed in very good veal stock until it is tender quite through, and which should be hot when it is laid in; or embedded in the usual ingredients for braising (see Chapter [IX]., page [180]), and sent to table glazed, sauced with an Espagnole, or other rich gravy, and garnished with carrots à la Windsor (see page [335]), or with sweetbread cutlets, also glazed.
[192]. This is very easily done by cutting through the skin down the centre of each.
BREAST OF VEAL. SIMPLY STEWED.[[193]]
[193]. We give here the English receipt of an excellent practical cook for “Stewed Breast of veal,” as it may be acceptable to some of our readers, After it has been boned, flattened, and trimmed, season it well, and let it lie for an hour or two (this, we do not consider essential); then prepare some good veal forcemeat, to which let a little minced shalot be added, and spread it over the veal If you have any cold tongue or lean of ham, cut it in square strips, and lay them the short way of the meat that they may be shewn when it is carved. Roll it up very tight, and keep it in good shape; enclose it in a cloth as you would a jam-pudding, and lace it up well, then lay it into a braising-pan with three onions, as many large carrots thickly sliced, some spice, sweet herbs, and sufficient fresh second-stock or strong veal broth to more than half cover it, and stew it very gently over a slow fire for three hours: turn it occasionally without disturbing the braise which surrounds it. Glaze it before it is sent to table, and serve it with Spanish sauce, or with rich English brown gravy, flavoured with a glass of sherry; and garnish it with stewed mushrooms in small heaps, and fried forcemeat balls.
Omit the forcemeat from the preceding receipt, and stew the joint tender in good veal broth, or shin of beef stock. Drain, and dish it. Pour a little rich gravy round it, and garnish it with nicely fried balls of the forcemeat No. 1, Chapter [VIII.], or with mushroom-forcemeat (No. 7). Mushroom-sauce is always an excellent accompaniment to a joint of veal. The liquor in which the breast is stewed or braised is too fat to serve as sauce until it has been cooled and cleared. The veal can be cooked without boning, but will have but an indifferent appearance. It should in that case be slowly brought to boil, and very gently simmered: about two hours and a half will stew it tender. The sweetbread, after being scalded, may be stewed with it for half the time, and served upon it.
Obs.—The breast without the gristles, boned and filled with forcemeat, makes a superior roast. It may also be boiled on occasion, and served with balls of oyster-forcemeat in the dish; or with white mushroom-sauce instead.
COMPOTE DE PIGEONS (STEWED PIGEONS.)
The French in much of their cookery use more bacon than would generally be suited to a very delicate taste, we think. This bacon, from being cured without saltpetre, and from not being smoked, rather resembles salt pork in flavour: we explain this that the reader may, when so disposed, adapt the receipts we give here to an English table by omitting it. Cut into dice from half to three quarters of a pound of streaked bacon, and fry it gently in a large stewpan with a morsel of butter until it is very lightly browned; lift it out, and put in three or four young pigeons trussed as for boiling. When they have become firm, and lightly coloured, lift them out, and stir a large tablespoonful of flour to the fat. When this thickening (roux) is also slightly browned, add gradually to it a pint, or something more, of boiling veal-stock or strong broth; put back the birds and the bacon, with a few small button-onions when their flavour is liked, and stew the whole very gently for three quarters of an hour. Dish the pigeons neatly with the bacon and onions laid between them; skim all the fat from the sauce, reduce it quickly, and strain it over them. The birds should be laid into the stewpan with the breasts downwards.