"While they are not always easy to find, veal breasts are inexpensive. There is a fair amount of meat around the bones and cartilage, and the taste is superb." --Jacques Pépin
Recipe: Braised Veal Breast with Pearl Onions and Artichokes
Serves 4
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Ingredients:
- 12 ounces pearl onions (about 20)
- One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 bone-in veal breast (3 to 4 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
- 12 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
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Instructions:
- Cover the pearl onions with 11/2 cups water in a saucepan and boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Drain.
- Combine the onions with the frozen artichokes and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
- Heat the butter in a Dutch oven or enameled cast-iron cocotte until hot. Sprinkle the veal breast all over with the salt and pepper, place it in the hot butter, and brown over medium-high heat for a good 15 minutes, turning the veal to brown it on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic to the drippings in the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Sprinkle the flour on top and mix well. Add the stock, wine, thyme, and bay leaves, mix well, and bring to a boil.
- Add the veal, cover, and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and braise for about 3 hours. (The recipe can be prepared ahead to this point and the veal set aside for up to 1 day. Bring to a simmer before proceeding.)
- At serving time, transfer the pot to the stovetop, add the boiled onions and artichokes, and boil gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Slice the veal and serve on hot plates, with the onions, artichokes, and a lot of the braising liquid, sprinkled with the chives.
Recipe from Heart & Soul in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin. Copyright © 2015 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.