Veal Ragout

Yield:

Instructions

Cut the veal into 1-1/2-inch cubes, reserving about 1/2 pound of the scraps. In a heavy casserole with a lid, sauté the veal chunks over high heat in part of the clarified butter. When veal is browned, add applejack to the pan and ignite. When the flames have subsided, remove the pan from the heat and remove the veal with a slotted spoon. Add tomato paste or catsup, meat glaze, and cornstarch mixed with small amount of chicken stock to the pan. Stir until smooth. Stir in remaining chicken stock, wine, currant jelly, and salt and white pepper to taste. Return to the heat and stir until the mixture boils. Return the veal to the pan, cover, and place in a 375 degree F oven for about 1-1/2 hours, until meat is fork-tender. Baste and turn 4 or 5 times during cooking.

While the meat is cooking, make the following forcemeat, using a chopper or food processor. With the fine blade of a chopper, grind the veal scraps twice and put in a mixing bowl with the egg whites. Add the light cream very slowly, beating at high speed after each addition. After the cream is absorbed, add salt, white pepper, garlic, shallots, and chives. Mix well. If using a food processor, put the veal scraps in the processor and run until finely chopped. Add egg whites, pepper, garlic, shallots, and chives, and with the processor running, add the cream in a steady stream through the chute, and add the salt.

About 15 minutes before the ragout is done, add the forcemeat by the teaspoonful to the cooking liquid. While the forcemeat quenelles ate cooking, sauté the mushrooms in remaining clarified butter and lemon juice over high heat. Add olives. Sauté the bread in peanut oil.

With a slotted spoon remove the veal from the pan onto a platter. Spoon some of the sauce onto the veal. (Serve remaining sauce separately.) Arrange the mushrooms and olives on the ragout and place the bread triangles around the platter. Serve with noodles.