Stuffed Veal Bundles - Paupiettes de Veau

A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill. (Published by Ten Speed Press, Distributed by Southern Publishers Group.)

In France, butchers have a respected place in the kitchen. More than just chopping pieces of meat, they coax, season, and teach. French home cooks have a vast array of ready-to-cook meals available that their local butchers have prepared. Among the platters of veal chops, scallops, and shanks there are little bundles tied with string and ready to cook in a mushroom sauce. Poetically called alouettes sans têtes, these "larks without heads" are tender, tasty packages of veal scallops and sausage that are easy to make at home once you get the hang of wrapping and tying. Although I am always eager to try new stuffings and other sauces, this tastes so good as is that I make veal paupiettes the same way each time - a rare occurrence in the bistro-galley! The bundles may appear small, but two per person is plenty as they are richly filled and sauced.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 veal scallops, cut thin (or pound as needed)
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lb (455 g) lean pork sausage
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bottle (750 ml) sweet white wine
• bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and sage)
• 1 lb (455 g) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

Method

Flatten the veal scallops with the flat of a large knife. Salt and pepper generously.

Place a spoonful of sausage on each scallop one-third of the way down the scallop. Roll the scallop around the sausage, tucking the meat around the stuffing until well rolled. Taking about two feet of kitchen string, place the bundle in the middle of the string, and tie; turn one-quarter turn and tie again; turn again and tie again. When you have a neatly tied packet of veal and stuffing, clip off any excess string and set aside.

Place the veal parcels in a single layer in a hot, deep sauté pan with the oil. Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.

Sauté the chopped onion and shallots in the oil left in the pan. Stir until they start to colour, then add the flour and tomato paste. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture starts to colour, then add nearly the whole bottle of wine (remember, it's okay to reserve a glass for the chef!).

Place the veal paupiettes and bouquet garni in the sauce, cover, and simmer slowly for 45 to 60 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and orange zest to the sauce and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.

John Hawkesby's Wine Suggestion

Gerwurztraminer

Artisan 8 Rows 2006

Pinot Noir

Grasshopper Rock 2006