ragout of veal with fennel shallots creme fraiche

Veal fennel and lemon go together extremely well. Here they meet in a light ragout bound with a sauce of creme fraiche.

12 small shallots
2 fennel bulbs
50g butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
650g fillet rump or loin of veal cut into 23cm cubes
6 tbsp crŹme fra"che
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
a squeeze or two of lemon juice
salt and pepper

Top and tail the shallots.
Trim the fennel saving a few of the feathery green fronds.
Cut each bulb into six or eight wedges depending on size.
Blanch the shallots in their skins in a pan of boiling water for four minutes.
Scoop out drain thoroughly then skin.
Put the fennel wedges into the same water and blanch until half cookedŃabout five minutes depending on size.
Scoop out and drain thoroughly.
Let the cooking water boil down to concentrate the flavours while you get on with the rest of the preparation.
Make sure shallots and fennel are dry.
Heat half the butter with the oil.
Fry the shallots and the fennel over a brisk heat until patched with brown.
Set aside.
Add the remaining butter to the pan dry the pieces of veal then brown in the butter.
Pour off excess fat then return the vegetables to the pan along with about 300ml of
their cooking liquid.
Simmer for five minutes until the veal is cooked then boil for a little longer until the liquid has reduced to a few tablespoonfuls.
Now add the crŹme fra"che and lemon zest bring up to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until rol reduced to a good consistency.
Season with salt pepper and lemon juice.

Serves 4

rice salad
Insalata di Riso
italian

250g easy cook italian rice
2 teaspoons salt
600ml cold water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
2 spring onions finely chopped
1 small green pepper cored seeded and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/4 cucumber diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
crisp lettuce leaves

Put the rice salt and water in a pan and bring to the boil.
Stir cover tightly and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Uncover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Combine the oil vinegar spring onions green pepper and plenty of salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add the hot rice and toss together thoroughly.
Cover and leave until cold.
Just before serving stir in the cucumber and parsley.
Line a shallow bowl with lettuce pile the rice salad in the centre and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6and#6;Fennel salad
Insalata di Finocchio
italian

1 largefennel bulb
1/2 large cucumber diced
4 radishes sliced
2 oranges divided into segments

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon Juice
1 clove garlic crushed
2 teaspoons chopped mint
salt and pepper

Trim the stalks base and coarse outer leaves from the fennel cut downwards into thin slices then intostrips.
Put in a salad bowl with the cucumber radishes and orange segments .
Put the dressing ingredients in a screwtopped jar adding salt and pepper to taste and shake well.
Sprinkle over the vegetables and toss lightly.
Serve immediately.

Serves 4and#6;italian mixed salad
Insalata Mista
italian

Raw young spinach leaves are widely used for salads in Italy when available they make a nice change from lettuce. For a really crisp salad after washing and thoroughly drying the lettuce or spinach place in a polythene bag and leave in the refrigerator f

1 crisp lettuce or 125g young spinach leaves
1/2 green pepper cored seeded and sliced
2 underripe tomatoes sliced
1/2 small cucumber sliced
6 radishes sliced

Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic crushed
salt and pepper

Tear the lettuce or spinach leaves into pieces.
Place in a salad bowl and top with the remaining vegetables.
Put the dressing ingredients in a screw topped jar adding salt and pepper to taste and shake well.
Sprinkle the dressing over the salad and toss lightly together.
Serve immediately.

Serves 4and#6;Mackerel parcels
Sgombro en Cartoccio
italian

4 x 250g mackerel cleaned
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onionfnely chopped
2 celery sticks finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 clovegarlic crushed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper and brush with oil.
Cut out heart shaped pieces of foil 5cm longer and wider than the fish brush with oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan add the onion and celery and fry gently for 10 minutes.
Add the parsley garlic if using herbs lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.
Lay a fish on each foil shape and top with the vegetable mixture.
Fold over the foil sealing the edges well to enclose the fish.
Place on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated moderately hot oven 200ˇC (400ˇF)
Gas Mark 6 for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve in the partially opened foil cases.

Serves 4and#6;Golden baked fish
Pesce Gratinato al Forno
italian

4 cod hake or haddock steaks
salt and pepper
50g dry white breadorumbs
50g Parmesan cheese grated

Marinade
4 tablespoons olive oil
1small clove garlic crushed
2 mint orparsley sprigs fnely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

To garnish
lemon quarters
parsley or mint sprigs

Combine the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in the marinade turning to coat.
Cover and leave in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours turning once.
Drain reserving the marinade.
Mix together the breadcrumbs and cheese and use to coat the fish pressing on firmly.
Strain the marinade into an ovenproof dish and add the fish.
Spoon over enough marinade to moisten the coating.
Cook in a preheated moderately hot oven 190ˇC (375ˇF) Gas Mark 5 for 20 to 25 minutes.
Garnish with lemon and herbs to serve.

Serves 4and#6;Aubergine and tomato pie
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
italian

750g aubergines
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
6 tablespoons olive oil
300ml Salsa di Pomodori (qv)
125g Mozzarella orBel Paese cheese thinly sliced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the aubergines lengthways into 5mm slices.
Sprinkle with salt place in a colander cover and leave for 1 hour.
Pat dry with kitchen paper then dust lightly with flour.
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan add half the aubergine slices and fry briskly until lightly browned on both sides.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Repeat with the remaining oil and aubergine.
Fill an oiled 1.2 litre pie dish with alternate layers of Salsa di pomodori aubergine Mozzarella or Bel Paese and a sprinkling of pepper and Parmesan finishing with Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven 200ˇC (400ˇF) Gas Mark 6 for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.

Serves 4

and#6;Potato gnocchi
Gnocchi di Patate
italian

175g plain flour
1 egg beaten
salt and pepper
grazed nutmeg
500g potatoes boiled and mashed

To serve
25g butter
25g grated Parmesan cheese
Salsa di Fegatini or Salsa di Came (qv)
Combine the flour egg and salt pepper and nutmeg to taste with the potato.
Mix well to form a firm dough.
With floured hands shape pieces of the dough into long rolls about 1cm thick.
Cut into 2cm lengths and curve by denting with a little finger.
Cook in batches by dropping into a large pan of boiling salted water and simmering for 3 to 5 minutes until they rise to the surface.
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.
Place in a buttered shallow dish dot with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Place in a preheated moderately hot oven 200ˇC (400ˇF) Gas Mark 6 for 7 to 10 minutes.
Divide between individual dishes and pour over the sauce.

Serves 4
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