Kumquats are a relatively new thing in Italy, and they work nicely with meats. Especially veal, whose sweetness nicely balances the tartness of kumquats in this tasty roast veal.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 85 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 pound (800 g) veal fesa -- the cut used to make scaloppini -- in a single piece; boneless veal roast will work
- 2/3 pound (300g) kumquats, washed, patted dry, cut in half, and seeded
- A shot of brandy
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- A little broth (unsalted bouillon will be fine)
- A bay leaf
- A 6-inch (15 cm) sprig of rosemary
- A few sage leaves
- Olive oil, salt, and white pepper
- Butcher's twine
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Tie the meat so it will keep its shape. In the meantime, heat a quarter cup of olive oil in an ovenproof dish, and when it is hot brown the meat on all sides. Season it with salt and pepper, and with the rosemary and sage.
Sprinkle the brandy over the meat and cook over a brisk flame until it has evaporated. Next, add the white wine and continue cooking, turning the meat occasionally, until almost all of the wine has evaporated too.
Add the kumquats and the bay leaf and transfer the meat to the oven. Cook for about 75 minutes, turning the meat occasionally, and spooning the drippings over it more often; should it look to be drying out, add a few tablespoons of broth.
When it is done, remove and discard the herbs. Let the roast sit for a couple of minutes, and then slice it, Spoon the sauce over the slices, ring them with the kumquats, and serve at once.
A wine? I'd go with a white from Friuli, perhaps a Chardonnay.
Tie the meat so it will keep its shape. In the meantime, heat a quarter cup of olive oil in an ovenproof dish, and when it is hot brown the meat on all sides. Season it with salt and pepper, and with the rosemary and sage.
Sprinkle the brandy over the meat and cook over a brisk flame until it has evaporated. Next, add the white wine and continue cooking, turning the meat occasionally, until almost all of the wine has evaporated too.
Add the kumquats and the bay leaf and transfer the meat to the oven. Cook for about 75 minutes, turning the meat occasionally, and spooning the drippings over it more often; should it look to be drying out, add a few tablespoons of broth.
When it is done, remove and discard the herbs. Let the roast sit for a couple of minutes, and then slice it, Spoon the sauce over the slices, ring them with the kumquats, and serve at once.
A wine? I'd go with a white from Friuli, perhaps a Chardonnay.
