Vitello con Carciofo

Veal with Artichokes



It was about 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm my time, on a Tuesday night and I was in Scottsdale, Arizona. I'd only been to Scottsdale once before, when I interviewed for the job that brought me here on this October evening. I'd been driving around for about an hour getting a feel for the area and looking for a place to eat.

Sadly, nothing caught my eye. There were the usual collection of fast food joints, pizza joints, and family-style joints. But as hungry as I was, I couldn't persuade myself to stop at any of them. I was heading back to the hotel when I noticed a little restaurant hidden in a strip mall — an Italian joint. Don't ask me why, but I made a U-turn and stopped there — expecting the worst.

It was a tiny place with three tables in front by a bar and another 15 or so tables in back. There were, perhaps, four tables seated. The bartender greeted me and when I asked for a smoking table waved me to a table up front by the bar. Then he brought me a menu and took my drink order.

I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he suggested the veal scallopini with artichokes.

The bartender was not your typical college kid. He was a dark, well-built middle-aged man wearing a starched white shirt, a starched white apron, and a conservative tie. He had an Italian accent. So when he brought my drink I said, "Grazie." He responded with, "Prego."

The menu wasn't the typical Italian-joint fare either. I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he suggested the veal scallopini with artichokes. I've had good veal dishes, but never in this country. The veal is usually so bland as to be tasteless. But I took him at his word and ordered it. It was excellent and, when I asked, the chef was kind enough to tell me what went in it.

Vitello con Carciofo
Serves 4.

4 ea veal scallopini (1/4 lb each)
1/2 c flour
3 ea jars marinated artichoke hearts — quartered
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 ea lemon – juiced
1/2 c white vermouth
parsley – chopped

Lightly season both sides of scaloppini and flour lightly, shaking off excess.

Heat 2 tablespoons of artichoke marinade and olive oil over medium heat. Saute 2 veal for two minutes on each side. Do not overcook! Remove to warm dish. Add another tablespoon of marinade and repeat for 2 remaining scallopini.

Place artichokes in skillet; add extra oil if necessary, cook, stirring gently, until warmed through. Add lemon juice and wine and scrape up fond. Return veal to pan and heat everything together briefly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with rice or buttered noodles.

I can't say what prompted me to stop at that little unassuming restaurant, but the impulse was a good one. Although I didn't live in Scottsdale, the job brought me there another half a dozen times and I always made a point of eating at least one meal in what became my favorite Italian restaurant.

Try this veal with...
Potatoes Savoyarde
Sauteed Greens
French Pear Tart

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | main dish | veal

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Osso Bucco

Hole in the Bone



In the past three years I've seen veal shanks at the supermarket exactly once, last week. So of course I had to buy them.

It's been at least 20 years since I last made or had osso bucco, literally "hole bone." The name refers to the circlet of bone in the center of each section of cross-cut shank. After cooking, the marrow in the center of the bone falls out or is scooped out leaving a circlet of bone — a bone with a hole.

In the past three years I've seen veal shanks at the supermarket exactly once.

Historically the dish is from Milan and was veal braised with white wine, cinnamon, allspice, and bay (called in bianco) then served on rissotto alla Milanese and garnished with gremolata (a mixture of parsley, lemon zest, and garlic). These days the recipes are often less traditional. The "sweet" spices are skipped and tomato is added in some form. This modern version, which includes tomatoes from the New World, is most often served on polenta, made of corn from the New World.

I decided to go a step further and rather than using polenta, I made grits that I flavored with Parmegiano and Fontanella cheese and freshly ground black pepper. This is a wonderful meal on a cold rainy night.

Osso Bucco
Serves 2.

1 lb. veal shank (ideally one section, 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 oz. pancetta &mdash diced
1/2 md. onion — finely diced
1 sm. carrot — finely diced
1 clove garlic — finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh sage
1/2 cup veal stock
1/2 cup vermouth or white wine
1 Tbsp. tomato paste

Tie veal with twine to keep is from falling apart, season veal with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour. Tie rosemary, sage, and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth (a bouquet garni).

Sauté pancetta in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat until browned. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Increase heat to medium-high and brown lamb shank on both sides. Add to plate with pancetta.

Reduce heat to medium and sauté onions and carrots for five minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add vermouth (or white wine) and deglaze pan. Return veal and pancetta to pan, add veal stock, bouquet garni, and tomato paste to pan.

Reduce heat to low and partially cover pan. Barely simmer for one hour then serve.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | osso bucco | veal | main dish | italian | paisano

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Vitello con Carciofo

Serendipity



It was about 8:00 pm, 10:00pm my time, on a Tuesday night and I was in Scottsdale, Arizona. I'd only been to Scottsdale once before, when I interviewed for the job that brought me here on this October evening. I'd been driving around for about an hour getting a feel for the area and looking for a place to eat.

Sadly, nothing caught my eye. There were the usual collection of fast food joints, pizza joints, and family-style joints. But as hungry as I was, I couldn't persuade myself to stop at any of them. I was heading back to the hotel when I noticed a little restaurant hidden in a strip mall -- an Italian joint. Don't ask me why, but I made a U-turn and stopped there.

It was a tiny place with three tables in front by a bar and another 15 or so tables in back. There were, perhaps, four tables seated. The bartender greeted me and when I asked for a smoking table waved me to a table up front by the bar. Then he brought me a menu and took my drink order.

The bartender was not your typical college kid. He was a dark, well-built middle-aged man wearing a starched white shirt, a starched white apron, and a conservative tie. He had an Italian accent. So when he brought my drink I said, "Grazie." He responded with, "Prego."

The menu wasn't the typical Italian-joint fare either. I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he suggested the veal. I've had good veal dishes, but never in this country. The veal is usually so bland as to be tasteless. But I took him at his word and ordered it. It was excellent and, when I asked, the chef was kind enough to tell me what went in it.

Veal Scaloppini with Artichokes

2 ea veal scallopini (1/4 lb each)
1/4 c flour
2 ea jars marinated artichoke hearts -- quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 ea lemon -- juiced
1/4 c white vermouth
parsley -- chopped

Lightly season both sides of scaloppini and flour lightly, shaking off excess.

Heat 2 tablespoons of artichoke marinade and olive oil over medium heat. Saut´ veal for two minutes on each side. Do not overcook! Remove to warm dish.

Place artichokes in skillet; add extra oil if necessary, cook, stirring gently, until warmed through. Add lemon juice and wine and scrape up fond. Return veal to pan and heat everything together briefly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with rice or buttered noodles. Serves 2.

I can't say what prompted me to stop at that little unassuming restaurant, but the impulse was a good one. Although I didn't live in Scottsdale, the job brought me there another half a dozen times and I always made a point of eating at least one meal in what became my favorite Italian restaurant.

Technorati: Food | Main Dish | veal

Read more...