Free The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines Page B

ALADS
    In case the preceding barrage of meat courses isn’t enough to fill your appetite, the following roasts — an appetizing mixture of veal, goose, and other game meats — would be ready and waiting for you. All roasts and game would be served with a suggested side salad or vegetable (see Chapter 6 ) and an elegant glass of champagne, which was the drink of choice by the end of the nineteenth century. It’s important to note that while there was a great deal of meat served at Downton Abbey, the guests were not required to eat large portions, thus giving their stomachs room to at least have a taste of each offered course.

 

Regal Veal Prince Orloff

    During this time period when French cuisine was quite
de rigueur
, this popular Franco-Russian dish was quite fashionable to serve at a dinner party. This dish is created by slicing veal and layering it with onion and mushroom stuffings, then covering with more stuffing and Mornay sauce. Perhaps in an attempt to woo Matthew Crawley, the Countess of Grantham would request that this indulgent dish be made to illustrate her family’s wealth and generosity. But outsiders beware: The Countess of Grantham — and all the daughters of Downton — are just as layered as this meal.
YIELDS 6–8 SERVINGS
For Veal Roast
    1 ⁄ 2 cup all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 (4-pound) tied boneless loin of veal, tenderized
    1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 ⁄ 2 cup white onion, chopped
    1 garlic clove, minced
    2 celery hearts, finely chopped
    1 large carrot, finely chopped
    4 sprigs fresh parsley
    5 sprigs fresh thyme
    1 bay leaf
    1 cup dry white wine
For Onion Stuffing
    1 ⁄ 3 cup long-grain basmati rice
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    3 cups white or yellow onions, halved vertically and sliced thin
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon sugar
    1 ⁄ 3 cup chicken broth
For Mushroom Stuffing
    1 pound mushrooms, finely chopped or minced
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 ⁄ 4 cup heavy cream
    1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon sugar
For Mornay Sauce
    1 1 ⁄ 2 cups whole milk
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1 ⁄ 3 cup grated Gruyère cheese
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 ⁄ 4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
Preheat oven to 350°F.
First, prepare the veal: In a small or medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour and garlic powder. Dredge veal in flour mixture, then season with black pepper and salt.
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart dutch oven (or other ovensafe pot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic clove, and sauté until brown. Place veal in dish and brown, turning on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Remove veal from dutch oven. Add celery and carrots, stirring frequently to prevent brown bits. Cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
Wrap parsley, fresh thyme, and bay leaf in a cheesecloth square, and tie into a bundle with a string to make a bouquet garni. Add to vegetables, then add wine. Finally, place veal on top and bring to a simmer.
Cover dutch oven or pot with lid, then transfer to lower third of oven and braise until veal registers 145°F, about 1–1 1 ⁄ 2 hours.
Transfer veal to a wooden cutting board. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Pour cooking juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium-sized glass bowl. Discard solids. Skim off fat and reserve for Mornay sauce. Be sure to add any juices that leak from veal to plate.
While veal braises, make the onion stuffing: Cook basmati rice in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse and drain again.
In a large ovenproof skillet, heat butter over low heat until foam subsides. Stir in onions, salt, and sugar. Cover with a lid or foil and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes. Mix in rice and broth, then bring to a simmer.
Cover skillet tightly, then