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Veal, Scallops of, Cold
Mince the meat very small, and set it over the fire for a few minutes with some nutmeg, pepper, salt, and a little cream; then put it into the scallop-shells, and fill them up with crumbs of bread, over which put some bits of butter, and brown the scallops before the fire.
A Victorian way of using up cold roast veal: minced, bound with cream, heaped into scallop shells and browned. The quantities are left entirely to the cook, which is normal for a leftovers dish of this kind.
- "Scallops" here are not escalopesDespite the name, this has nothing to do with thin cutlets. The dish is named for the scallop shells it is baked in — the same vessels used for coquilles. Small gratin dishes or ramekins of about 100–150 ml do the job.
- Start with cooked meatThis is a leftovers recipe and assumes cold roast or braised veal. Mince or chop it finely by hand; a food processor will turn it to paste in seconds. Reckon on about 350 g of cooked meat for four shells.
- How much cream"A little cream" means just enough to moisten and bind — roughly 4–6 tablespoons to 350 g of meat. The mixture should hold together on a spoon, not pour.
- Do not cook the meat againThe few minutes over the fire are only to warm the meat through and let it take up the cream. Simmering already-cooked veal any longer makes it dry and grainy.
- Nutmeg is the signatureNutmeg with veal and cream is a standing Victorian pairing and it carries the dish. Grate it fresh; a quarter of a whole nutmeg across four shells is about right.
- "Brown before the fire"That means direct radiant heat from an open fire or a hanging grate. Use a grill/broiler at high heat, shells about 10 cm from the element, for 3–5 minutes until the crumbs are golden. A 220C oven works but takes longer and dries the filling.
- Breadcrumbs and butterFresh soft crumbs, not dried packet crumbs, which will scorch before they colour evenly. Dot generously with butter — the crumbs need fat to brown rather than simply toast.
- Yield and servingFour shells make a light lunch or first course. Serve at once; the crust softens within minutes of coming out from the heat.
Cassell's belonged to an age of large joints and no refrigeration, when the second and third appearances of a roast mattered as much as the first. Cold veal was a standing problem — mild in flavour, unappealing sliced cold, and abundant in households that bought a whole fillet or shoulder. Dressing it in a shell with cream, nutmeg and a browned crumb crust turned it into something that could be sent to table on its own account. Scallop shells were commonly used as baking dishes in the nineteenth century, and "scalloped" came to be used of minced mixtures baked in one under crumbs; the later application of the word to dishes such as scalloped potatoes is often traced to this, though the derivation is disputed and an origin in "collop" has also been proposed. The seasoning here — nutmeg, pepper, salt, cream, nothing more — reflects an older English taste for nutmeg with white meats.