WITH winter just around the corner, the cold months are coming in fast and we are looking for warmth in our homes and of course in our bellies. There’s nothing like a warm and satisfying home-cooked meal that can be shared with families and friends in the colder months of the year, and I have just the recipe for you this weekend.
This recipe is inspired by the idea of winter warmer comfort food – it's a stunning, velvety veal dish and flavoursome butters that are a secret weapon to transform a meal, making your meats sing or, if you’re not a meat eater, your steamed spuds, simple roasts, sautés or even plain pastas.
The succulent veal chop is paired with a delicate yet flavoursome shallot butter, creating comfort food at its best. This recipe is easy to make, and using simple but bold ingredients, will have your taste buds singing.
VEAL CHOPS WITH SHALLOT BUTTER
(Serves 3)
1 garlic clove
2 shallots, chopped
1 bunch chives
150g slightly salted butter
1 teasp coarse ground black pepper
3 thick veal chops
Start by making the butter. Peel and fine chop or even grate the clove of garlic and chop the shallots. Chop the chives finely. Using the back of a fork, work the butter with the garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper and add in the chives.
At the restaurant we place the lot into cling film and roll into a cylinder and tie and each end. You can place in the fridge or freeze and slice off the bit you intend to use.
To cook the veal chops, heat a grill pan or a frying pan with a little oil on a high heat; place in the chops and cook until you have achieved your preferred cooking and eating method. I like mine browned on the outside but medium to rare on the inside.
Serve with the shallot butter on top and some new season boiled potatoes.
FLAVOURED BUTTERS
These recipes make for an equal quantity of butter and flavouring. If you don’t need to use it all at once you can freeze.
With making all of these butters you will need:
100g butter, softened
Using a bowl and small fork work in the ingredients from the list of flavourings below. You will need to soften your butter to a thick cream and then add in the flavouring and mix well. Place the butter mix into a piece of cling film and roll into a cylinder shape. Tie each end and place in the fridge or freezer until required.
ROQUEFORT BUTTER
100g Roquefort cheese or any other salty blue cheese
2 teasp Dijon mustard
1 tablesp fine chopped parsley (removed from stalk, leaf only)
1 tablesp fine chopped chives
salt and pepper
ANCHOVY AND ROSEMARY
50g anchovy fillets, drained and mashed to a pulp
2 sprigs rosemary, removed from stalk
squeeze of lemon juice
1 clove garlic fine chopped
salt and pepper
MUSTARD AND LEMON BUTTER
1 heaped tablesp Dijon mustard
¼ lemon zested and juiced
1 tablesp fine chopped chives
salt and pepper
HORSERADISH
1 tablesp grated fresh horseradish
1 teasp English mustard
1 teasp chopped parsley
squeeze lemon juice
1 pinch lemon zest
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
RED WINE
This one is a little more work but worth the effort.
3 shallots, peeled and fine chopped.
Place in a saucepan with 100ml red wine and 1 sprig of thyme (destalked).
Bring to the boil and when the liquid has reduced to a tablespoon amount, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once cool add to the butter. Add a bit more thyme leaf (removed from the stalk) and a tablespoon of chopped tarragon.
