Cooking time: 3 - 3 1/4 hours
Stuffing helps to keep veal moist and extends the number of servings. The breast is not boned and rolled but a slit is cut along one side, above the bones, to form a pocket into which the stuffing is inserted. Ask the butcher to cut through the sternum bone.
ingredients
serves 5 - 6
4 1/2 pound breast of veal, unboned
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups stock
FOR THE STUFFING
2 cups fine white
breadcrumbs
1 slice fat bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons shredded suet (lard)
3 - 4 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon each parsley and chives, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon thyme
half a lemon
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 medium-sized egg, beaten
salt
freshly ground black pepper
stock to moisten
method
1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). To make the stuffing, mix breadcrumbs, bacon, suet (lard), shallots, anchovies and herbs thoroughly in a bowl and season well. Grate the rind from the lemon and squeeze half the juice. Combine the egg and lemon rind and juice with the dry ingredients. Moisten gradually with a little stock until the mixture holds together but do not allow it to become wet.
2. Wipe the meat with a clean damp cloth. Placing it with the meaty side uppermost and the breast bone towards your knife hand, cut a slit almost the length of the breast bone. Working the knife under the meat above the bones, cut a pocket. Be careful not to pierce the upper covering of meat or to cut through the meat. Put the butter and oil in the roasting pan and heat in the oven.
3. Using a tablespoon, pack the stuffing into the pocket formed between the upper flesh and the rib. Push it well into the pocket so that it is not spilling out.
4. Weigh the stuffed meat and calculate cooking time at 30 minutes per 1 pound. Season with salt and pepper and place the meat on a rack (with the pocket uppermost) over the hot fat in the roasting pan. Baste immediately. Roast, basting at 20 minute intervals throughout cooking.
5. At the end of cooking time transfer to a warm carving dish. Pour off excess fat from the roasting pan. Off the heat stir in the flour then cook for one minute. Add the stock off the heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. Check seasoning and pour into a warm gravy boat.
6. Carve the breast in strips between the bones to give each person a bone and a portion of stuffing with meat above.
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