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Veal Forcemeat, Roll Of
Take a pound of lean veal from the fillet, three ounces of fat bacon, and two ounces of lean ham. Cut the meat in long slices, scrape them with a knife, and pound them in a mortar. Mix with the paste one ounce of finely-grated bread-crumbs, a dessert-spoonful of baked flour, the grated rind of half a small lemon, half a shallot finely minced, a pinch of grated nutmeg, and a little pepper. Add the yolks of three and the whites of two eggs beaten up with two table-spoonfuls of thick cream. Mould the mixture to the shape of a roll. Brush over with the white of egg which was left untouched, dredge baked flour upon it, roll it in well-oiled paper, tie it in a cloth, and steam over fast-boiling water till done enough. Turn the roll upon a hot dish, pour a little nicely-flavoured brown sauce over, and serve very hot. Time to steam the roll, two hours. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for three or four persons.
A Victorian veal quenelle mixture, bound with egg and cream and steamed in a cloth. It is closer to a fine terrine than to modern stuffing, and the main adjustments are equipment and cooking time.
- Baked flourFlour spread on a tray and dried in a low oven until faintly coloured, which weakens its raw taste and its thickening power. Plain flour works in its place, or dry a few tablespoons at 300F for 20 minutes and use it as directed.
- Fat baconThe recipe wants fat for richness, not smoke. Unsmoked streaky bacon, pancetta or plain pork fatback suits it better than modern cured smoked bacon, which will dominate the veal.
- Mortar and scrapingScraping the sliced meat with a knife blade removes sinew before pounding. A food processor can stand in for the pounding in short pulses, though it will not separate out sinew the way scraping does; keep the meat and fat very cold so the mixture emulsifies rather than smears.
- Well-oiled paperButtered or oiled parchment, then a wrung-out cloth or a doubled sheet of foil tied at both ends. The wrapping holds the roll's shape while it sets and keeps steam off the surface glaze.
- Two hours is generousA roll made from a pound of veal reaches doneness well before two hours. Cook to an internal temperature of 160F and check with a thermometer at the centre; overlong steaming squeezes the cream and egg out and leaves the roll dry and crumbly.
- Brown sauceMost likely a roux-based brown gravy of the period, of the espagnole family. A good demi-glace, or pan juices reduced with stock and a spoonful of Madeira, gives a similar effect.
- EggsThree yolks and two whites go into the mixture; the third white is the glaze. Beat it lightly before brushing so it spreads thin.
- Yield and servingThree or four as a light main course, as stated. It slices best after resting ten minutes, and cold leftovers cut cleanly for sandwiches.
Forcemeat — from the French farce, stuffing, rather than from any notion of force — was one of the workhorses of the nineteenth-century kitchen, used to stuff birds, line pies, form quenelles and, as here, stand on its own as a dish. Veal was a favoured base because its mild flavour and gelatine content set firmly and took on whatever seasoning it was given, and lemon rind, nutmeg and shallot are common in Victorian versions. The steamed roll in oiled paper and cloth follows the pudding-cloth method familiar from the boiled puddings of the same kitchen, and the preparation belongs to the same family as the galantine and the pâté en terrine.