Tendrons de Veau à la Villeroi

This entry is an ingredients list only — the book assumes you know the Villeroi method and sends you elsewhere for the farce. Here is what the list implies and what it leaves out.

• What a tendron isTendrons are the strips cut across the rib-end cartilage of the breast of veal, so each piece carries a band of gristle that turns gelatinous with long cooking. Ask a butcher for breast of veal cut into finger-wide strips across the bone; lamb breast behaves similarly if veal is unavailable.
• The missing methodÀ la Villeroi means the cooked, cooled meat is masked in a very thick sauce that sets solid, then egg-and-crumbed and deep fried. Braise the tendrons until tender, press them flat between trays under a weight while they cool, trim to even shapes, spread with the liver farce, then coat.
• The hingeThe Béchamel must be cold and stiff enough to cling in a smooth layer, and the coated pieces must be thoroughly chilled — an hour or more — before crumbing. Warm or slack sauce runs off in the fryer and the coating splits.
• Quarter pintAn imperial quarter pint is 5 fl oz, a little under two-thirds of a US cup. For masking it wants to be reduced well past pouring consistency, closer to a stiff paste than a sauce.
• Liver farceThe cross-reference points to a liver forcemeat given elsewhere in the book, presumably liver (calf's, most likely) worked with fat and seasoning and sieved smooth. A well-seasoned chicken-liver mousse or a fine liver pâté stands in acceptably; it is spread thin, not used as a stuffing.
• FryingDeep fry at 350-375F until the crumb is an even gold, three to four minutes — the meat is already cooked, so you are only setting the crust and warming the interior through.
• YieldTwo pounds of breast, once braised, boned and trimmed, gives four to six entrée portions. Serve with a sharp sauce — tomato, périgueux or a plain jus — as the coating is rich.