Veal Birds

A terse outline of a dish that was once standard in every cookery book: thin veal scallops rolled around stuffing and browned in butter. The original assumes you know what "dressing" means and how long a rolled piece of meat takes to cook through.

• The cutAsk for veal cutlets or scallopini, about 1/4 inch thick, and pound them thinner between sheets of plastic to roughly 1/8 inch. Strips 2 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long roll and hold their shape best.
• "Dressing" means bread stuffing"Dressing" in American cookery usually means the seasoned bread mixture used for poultry: soft crumbs, melted butter, chopped onion, sage or thyme, salt and pepper, moistened with a little stock. Allow about a tablespoon per bird and do not overfill or it pushes out as the meat contracts.
• Liver stuffingThe recipe does not say which liver; calf's liver, finely chopped or ground raw and bound with crumbs and butter, would suit. It is richer and firmer than bread dressing and should reach at least 160F in the centre, which argues for the smaller, tighter rolls.
• SkeweringToothpicks work, but soak wooden ones first and count them going in so you can count them out. Kitchen twine tied in two places is more reliable if you plan to move the birds around the pan.
• Frying alone is not enoughButter over direct heat browns the outside long before a rolled and stuffed piece of veal is cooked through. Brown on all sides, then add a few tablespoons of stock or water, cover, and let them finish over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until the veal is tender and the stuffing is hot to the centre.
• Butter will burnOver a campfire or an uneven burner, add a spoonful of neutral oil to the butter, or clarify it. Scorched milk solids will taint the pan juices you want for a sauce.
• YieldA pound of pounded cutlet gives roughly eight birds, enough for three or four people. The covered braising liquid, thickened with a little flour kneaded into butter, makes the traditional gravy.