Stuffed veal rolls

October 7, 2003

The Spouse loves Wiener schnitzel. I actually enjoy it myself but I don't like the thought of the amount oil that must be used in order to make a big batch, and I am afraid dry-fried schnitzel on a non-stick pan just isn't the same.

Schnitzel once a year is about as far as I am prepared to go. However, the schnitzel cut of meat is a very versatile one and can be used for a variety of other dishes.

If you can get veal schnitzel, so much the better. I can remember when I was in my teens my mother would buy lovely white veal for Wiener schnitzel. At best, these days, you may be able to find red veal, otherwise beef schnitzel slices are fine.

Stuffed Veal Rolls

6 thin slices of veal schnitzel
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots
1 clove garlic, crushed
250g brown button mushrooms
3 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 large meaty rashers of bacon, rind removed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or three tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
oil
1 bay leaf
beef stock
seasoning

Flatten the schnitzel steaks with a meat mallet and cut each into two or three even pieces.

Clean, trim and finely chop three-quarters of the mushrooms. Save the neatest mushrooms for the sauce and slice these thinly and set aside. Chop the bacon finely.

Heat the butter and saute the shallots till they are tender. Don't let them brown. Add the bacon and stir till the pieces change colour and look cooked. Stir in the crushed garlic.

Add the chopped mushrooms along with the tomatoes, parsley and mixed herbs. Check the seasoning, adding a little salt if the bacon isn't salty enough to season the mixture adequately.

Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs.

Place some of this stuffing on each piece of meat - just over a teaspoon on each should be sufficient.

Neatly roll up each piece of meat, encasing the filling, and secure with a toothpick.

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan and brown the rolls, a few at a time. Don't crowd the pan. Let the oil reheat between batches. Transfer the browned rolls into a casserole.

Pour off any excess fat from the pan, add the rest of the wine, stirring in the pan drippings. Strain this over the meat and then pour over sufficient beef stock - homemade or made with stock cubes or stock powder - to just cover the rolls. Add a bayleaf, a little salt and the sliced mushrooms.

Cover and cook for an hour at 180C. Before serving, thicken the gravy with a little flour and water mixed to a smooth cream. Remove the bayleaf.

Serve with an assortment of fresh vegetables.