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Susan Jung

Text Susan Jung / Photography Jonathan Wong / Styling Nellie Ming Lee
 
Veal was once considered cruel fare, because the calves it came from were raised in crates so tiny the animals couldn't move. Fortunately, things have come a long way. These days, I buy veal from Britain and Europe, where the use of crates has long been banned. Crates are, however, still used in many states in America. Veal is a delicate, tender meat, so don't overcook it.
Veal and mushrooms with spaetzle (pictured)
Spaetzle is a type of German, Swiss and Eastern European pasta made with a damp, sticky dough that isn't rolled out, as you would do to make noodles. Many cooks use a spaetzle-maker to shape the short pieces (some people call them noodles, others dumplings). Lacking the spaetzle-maker, as well as other suggested alternatives such as a flat perforated metal pan, we tried hand-cutting the dough (which was tedious), used a ricer (which was slow), then finally settled on a food mill fitted with the large-holed disc, which worked well.
For the spaetzle:
2 large eggs, at room temperature
200 grams plain (all-purpose) flour
For the veal and mushrooms:
200 grams thinly sliced veal (preferably rose veal)
Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dredging
Cooking oil, as needed
60 grams unsalted butter, divided
1 large shallot, minced
100 grams fresh button mushrooms
20 grams mixed dried mushrooms, soaked in 50ml warm water until hydrated
A small sprig of thyme, leaves only
100ml dry white wine
90 grams crème fraiche
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the flour in a bowl and mix in three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Whisk the eggs, add them to the flour and combine thoroughly. Add warm water, about 15ml at a time, to form a dough that's damp, stretchy and slightly loose (but not fluid). Cover the bowl with cling-film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. If using a ricer or food mill, spray it first with pan-coating, so the dough doesn't stick; if hand-cutting the spaetzle, spray the knife with pan-coating. Shape the spaetzle, letting them drop straight into the boiling water. As the spaetzle float to the surface, scoop the pieces out with a large slotted spoon, then drain them in a colander. When all the dough is shaped and cooked, drizzle with 15ml of cooking oil and mix thoroughly, so the spaetzle don't stick together.
Lay the veal between two sheets of cling-film and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the slices so they're very thin. Remove the cling-film then lightly season the meat with salt and pepper. Cut each slice of meat into quarters. Squeeze as much water as possible from the dried mushrooms then halve or quarter them, depending on size. Strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine sieve to remove any sediment. Slice the button mushrooms.
Heat 30 grams of butter in a skillet and when it's almost melted add the shallot and cook over a low flame until soft. Increase the heat and add the fresh and dried mushrooms, the thyme leaves and a sprinkling of salt. Cook over a medium-high flame for about a minute, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and mushroom soaking liquid. Simmer to reduce the liquid.
While the mushrooms are simmering, cook the veal and heat the spaetzle. Pour oil to the depth of about 5mm in a skillet and heat it over a medium flame. Spoon some flour into a shallow bowl. When the oil is hot, dredge the veal in the flour and shake off the excess. Lay the veal in the hot oil and cook briefly (about 30 seconds, or until done) then turn the slices over and cook the other side. Drain on paper towels. Wash out the pan and dry it. Heat 30 grams of butter over a low flame. When the butter is melted, add the spaetzle. Increase the heat and sauté the spaetzle until hot and lightly browned in a few spots. Season with salt and pepper, then turn off the flame.
When the wine and mushroom liquid has almost fully reduced, taste for seasoning and add salt (if needed) and pepper. Stir in the crème fraiche and simmer until the sauce lightly coats the mushrooms. Taste again and adjust the seasonings.
Divide the spaetzle between two plates and top with the veal. Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over the veal and serve immediately.
Veal scaloppine with marsala and cream
This recipe is from the book More Classic Italian Cooking, by Marcella Hazan.
8 thin slices of veal, about 60 grams each
Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dredging
30ml cooking oil
45 grams unsalted butter
60ml dry marsala
80ml cream
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lay each slice of veal between two layers of cling-film and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them thin. Remove the cling-film then sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper. Put some flour in a wide, shallow bowl.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over a high flame. Quickly dredge the veal slices in the flour and put them in the skillet; you'll need to cook the meat in batches - do not crowd the pan. Pan-fry for about 30 seconds on each side, or until done. Briefly drain on paper towels then lay the meat on a platter.
After cooking all the meat, add the marsala to the pan and deglaze it over a high flame, scraping up the brown bits from the skillet. Simmer the marsala for one minute then stir in the cream and whisk constantly until it reduces to a sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper, then spoon it over the veal. Serves four.
For more on cooking and recipes, go to scmp.com/topics/recipes
 


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Susan Jung's recipe for veal and mushrooms with spaetzle

It's about time this delicate, tender meat shook off its bad reputation

Susan Jung's recipe for veal and mushrooms with spaetzle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}It's about time this delicate, tender meat shook off its bad reputation

It's about time this delicate, tender meat shook off its bad reputation