Even the most ethical meat eater is okay to eat British veal
The mention of the word veal can spark heated debate, and over the years we’ve seen a lot of poorly treated calves that have been deprived of sunlight and kept packed in cages to ensure the ultimate tender meat.
But although this still occurs in Europe, in Britain there are measures in place to ensure our veal calves are ethically farmed. Moreover, if we did not farm these cattle and raise them for food, they would not live beyond four hours, and they deserve so much more than that.
So, it’s important that we support the industry and in doing so, respect the animal. Veal is also rich in iron and low in fat and it has a simple taste and a wonderful capacity for taking on other ingredients. It is also extremely versatile and British veal is fairly easy to get hold of; just make sure it’s traceable. The recipe here is incredibly simple and worth trying over the summer months; it’s light, quick and easy. If you’re opposed to veal, you can always try this with a butterflied chicken fillet. However, I urge you to try it. Provided it is ethically sourced (and British) there’s nothing stopping you.
Veal escalope with garlic cream mushrooms
Ingredients
For the veal escalope:
1 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
100g veal, flattened with a meat mallet or rolling pin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garlic cream mushrooms:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
85g button mushrooms, quartered
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp grain mustard
2 tbsp clotted cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
To serve:
handful of fresh herb leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Heat oil and butter in a pan and season the veal with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry 1-2 mins on both sides or until golden-brown, then transfer to the oven for 4-5 mins or cooked through. Remove and rest on a warm plate.
For the mushrooms, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and gently fry mushrooms and garlic for 4-5 mins or until mushrooms brown. Stir in mustard, cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 2-3 mins, then stir in the chives.
Spoon the mushrooms onto a serving plate and place the veal on top with a handful of fresh herb leaves.
