Veal Breast With Spinach Stuffing

Name: Veal Breast With Spinach Stuffing
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Six to eight servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 1 five-pound breast of veal with pocket for stuffing; Salt, if desired; Freshly ground pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 1/2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon chopped garlic; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2/3 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 pound ground veal; 1/2 pound ground pork; 1 cup finely chopped or diced mushrooms; 4 cups loosely packed, coarsely chopped, cleaned spinach; 1/2 cup fine, fresh bread crumbs; 1/2 cup ricotta cheese; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1/8 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon corn oil; 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery; 1 cup coarsely chopped onion; 3 sprigs parsley; 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried; 1 cup canned imported tomatoes; 1 cup dry white wine; 1 clove garlic, unpeeled; 1 cup chicken broth or water

By Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:Six to eight servings

1five-pound breast of veal with pocket for stuffing
Salt, if desired
Freshly ground pepper
½teaspoon dried thyme
1½bay leaves
1teaspoon chopped garlic
2tablespoons olive oil
⅔cup finely chopped onion
½pound ground veal
½pound ground pork
1cup finely chopped or diced mushrooms
4cups loosely packed, coarsely chopped, cleaned spinach
½cup fine, fresh bread crumbs
½cup ricotta cheese
1egg, lightly beaten
⅛teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅛teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
1tablespoon corn oil
¾cup thinly sliced carrots
½cup coarsely chopped celery
1cup coarsely chopped onion
3sprigs parsley
2sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
1cup canned imported tomatoes
1cup dry white wine
1clove garlic, unpeeled
1cup chicken broth or water

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Sprinkle the veal breast inside and out with salt and pepper to taste
Step 2
Chop together on a flat, heavy surface the half teaspoon dried thyme, half a bay leaf and one teaspoon chopped garlic. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet and add the finely chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted and add the ground veal and pork. Cook, stirring and chopping down with the side of a heavy metal kitchen spoon to break up lumps in the meats. Add the garlic mixture and mushrooms and cook, stirring, about five minutes.
Step 4
Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the bread crumbs, ricotta cheese and egg. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and pepper flakes. Stir to blend well. Let cool.
Step 5
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 6
Open up the pocket of the breast. Fill the pocket with the mixture. Sew up the pocket all around with string to enclose the filling. Rub the bottom of a baking dish with the tablespoon of corn oil.
Step 7
Put the breast in the baking dish and rub it all over with the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the breast, bone side down, in the baking dish and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes.
Step 8
Add the sliced carrots, celery and coarsely chopped onion. Continue baking 30 minutes.
Step 9
Meanwhile, tie the three sprigs of parsley, two sprigs of thyme and remaining bay leaf into a bundle. Add this to the veal.
Step 10
Add the tomatoes, wine and garlic clove. Cover the meat loosely with foil and continue baking about 30 minutes.
Step 11
Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and baste well. Continue baking 30 minutes. The total baking time is two hours. Transfer the meat to a warm serving platter.
Step 12
When ready to serve, add the broth or water to the pan. Bring to the boil on top of the stove. Stir to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Discard the bundle of herbs amd garlic clove.
Step 13
Remove the string from the veal. Carve the veal and serve with the vegetables in sauce surrounding the roast.