Medallions of Veal with Sauces
Submitted by babyjan
Medallions of veal with sauces: tender stuffed veal cutlets on a bed of sauteed spinach, dressed with a crayfish Nantua sauce and lemon-chive wine butter, garnished with crayfish and asparagus. Fine dining at home.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minThis is restaurant-plate cooking, the kind of composed dish you would expect from a fine-dining kitchen, brought home. Delicate veal cutlets are lightly floured and quickly sauteed so they stay tender, then sandwiched in pairs around a savory stuffing, turning thin cutlets into elegant little medallions.
The plating is where it earns its stars. Each portion rests on a bed of just-wilted spinach, then gets two sauces: a crayfish-rich Nantua sauce spooned underneath, and a lemon-and-chive wine butter sauce draped over the veal, so every bite picks up both.
The garnishes do double duty as flavor and decoration, boiled crayfish heads and tails, plus blanched asparagus tips and quickly sauteed zucchini for fresh color and bite.
It is a recipe in stages, with several components made ahead, but each one is straightforward on its own. Pull them together at the last minute for a plate that looks and tastes like it came from a white-tablecloth dining room.
Chef Tips
- Pound and flour the veal lightly, then sear it fast; thin cutlets toughen quickly if overcooked.
- Make the sauces and stuffing ahead so final assembly is just a quick reheat and plate-up.
- Wilt the spinach only briefly so it stays bright green and doesn’t water down the plate.
- Spoon the Nantua sauce under the veal and the wine butter over it, keeping the two flavors distinct.
Variations
- Substitute shrimp or lobster for crayfish in the garnish and Nantua sauce.
- Use chicken or pork cutlets in place of veal.
- Swap the asparagus and zucchini for other seasonal vegetables.
Ingredients
Directions
** These ingredients should be prepared in advance following the appropriate recipes.
Veal:
Salt and pepper the veal, then dredge it in flour. Quickly sauté the veal slices in oil (turning once). Drain and pat any excess oil off with a cloth.
Place a spoonful of the prepared stuffing between each two pieces of veal.
Garnish:
Parboil the spinach, and heat the butter in a sauté pan. Add the spinach to the sauté pan and cook very briefly. Reserve.
In another sauté pan, heat the oil. Sauté zucchini about 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve.
Blanch asparagus tips and reserve.
To Assemble:
Put the stuffed veal on a bed of sautéed spinach. Garnish each plate with 1 crayfish head and 3 crayfish tails (boiled). Spoon the Nantua Sauce onto the bottom of each plate.
Add lemon juice and chives to the wine butter and sauce and spoon over veal. Garnish with two asparagus tips per plate and 2 small zucchini.
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