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Veal, Fricandeau Of
For this dish--a segment of veal, larded and stewed, with bacon, sliced vegetables, sweet herbs, and seasoning--we are indebted to the age of Leo X. Its inventor was Jean de Careme (John of Lent), who received the nickname in consequence of a celebrated soupe maigre which he made for the Pope, his master. He was the direct ancestor of the famous Careme, who was cook first to George IV., and afterwards to Baron Rothschild. Leo X., luxurious and magnificent in his tastes, was far from narrow-minded in his patronage of merit. He fostered the genius of Raphael, the painter, and encouraged also the genius which could discover a fricandeau. The following recipe will be found excellent. Take about three pounds of the fat, fleshy side of a fillet of veal of the best quality, or a slice about four inches thick. With one stroke of the knife cut it even, trim it into an oblong or oval shape, then lard thickly and evenly with thin strips of fat bacon. Slice two carrots, two turnips, and two onions, and put these into the centre of a stewpan with two or three slices of bacon, the trimmings of the meat, a bunch of sweet herbs, two bay-leaves, and a little salt and white pepper. Put the fricandeau on the vegetables, and pour in about a pint of stock, or as much as will cover the bacon without touching the veal. Cover the saucepan closely, and let its contents come slowly to the boil, then stew very gently by the side of the fire till the meat is quite tender. Baste frequently with its liquor. A short time before it is to be served take it up and put it into a well-heated oven to crisp the bacon. Strain the gravy, skim the fat from it, boil quickly to glaze, and baste the fricandeau with it till it looks bright and glossy. Serve with the larded surface uppermost, in the centre of a puree of any vegetables that are in season--sorrel, spinach, endive, asparagus, peas, etc. If liked, the gravy may be simply strained, skimmed, and poured over the meat, and then the dish is fricandeau with gravy. Sometimes as a matter of economy the lean part of the best end of a large neck of veal is used instead of the prime part of the leg, and does nearly as well. Truffles, mushrooms, and artichoke bottoms may all be served with this dish. Time to stew the fricandeau, about two hours and a half. Probable cost, veal, 1s. 1d. per pound.
A braise dressed up as a roast: the meat is cooked gently in a shallow bath of stock, then glazed and crisped. The classic form depends on two things going right, and neither is the stewing.
- The hinge: liquid levelThe stock should come up only as far as the bacon and vegetables beneath the meat, never over the larded top. The veal steams and bastes above the liquid so the surface stays dry enough to crisp and take a glaze; submerge it and you have a pot roast.
- The cut"The fat, fleshy side of a fillet of veal" means the leg, not the loin fillet. Ask for a piece of the cushion or top round cut about 4 inches thick, roughly 3 lb. The book's cheaper alternative is the lean part of the best end of neck, i.e. the eye of the rack rather than a shoulder cut.
- LardingThin strips of firm back fat or fatty unsmoked bacon are threaded through the surface with a larding needle, in even rows. Without a needle, bard instead: cover the top with overlapping sheets of fat, tie them on, and remove them before the crisping stage, accepting that you lose the studded look.
- "By the side of the fire"A bare tremble, not a boil; on a modern hob that is roughly 180-190F. The book gives no oven for this stage, but an oven does it more reliably: bring to a boil on the hob, cover, and hold at a low setting, adjusting so the liquid never more than shivers.
- Crisping and glazingThe book asks only for "a well-heated oven" and "a short time": take that as a hot oven and no more than 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile boil the strained, skimmed gravy hard until it is syrupy and coats a spoon, then brush it on in several thin layers rather than one.
- TimingTwo and a half hours suits a 3 lb piece at a true simmer, but modern milk-fed veal is tender and can go dry. Start testing at 1 hour 45 minutes: a skewer should meet no resistance while the meat still holds its shape for slicing.
- Sweet herbsA tied bundle of parsley stalks, thyme and the two bay leaves. Use white pepper as specified if you care about the pale look of the sauce.
- ServingThree pounds of boneless veal serves six. Carve across the grain in thick slices so the larding shows in cross-section, and set them on the vegetable puree rather than under it.
The historical preamble here is best read as period folklore. Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833) did cook for the Prince Regent, later George IV, and later still for Baron James de Rothschild, but the "Jean de Carême" said to have invented the fricandeau for Leo X in the early sixteenth century is a tale repeated in nineteenth-century cookery writing rather than a documented figure, and Carême himself was a child abandoned by known but impoverished parents. The dish is thoroughly French and thoroughly of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: the word fricandeau is attested in French cookery from the mid-sixteenth century, its origin generally traced to the same family of terms as fricassee, and by Cassell's day it was a fixture of the English dinner-party repertoire precisely because it made a large, showy, sliceable centrepiece. The price note of 1s 1d a pound is a reminder of what veal then cost the British cook.