veal veal

36. Breaded veal chops a la Milanaise

A local butcher has recently put up a sign. 'We sell real veal.' I'm under the impression that a lot of meat marketed as veal in Australia isn't veal at all--it's yearling, too old, technically, to be veal. I imagine that's what they're talking about.

Veal chops a la Milanaise is a classic and Larousse Gastronomique's version doesn't stray too far from the tried and tested formula. You flatten some veal chops using a meat mallet and then coat them in a mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan.The crumbed chops and then gently cooked in butter.

The recipe suggests serving the chops with macaroni a la Milanaise--makes a lot of sense--but I opted for something else.

I like Larousse Gastronomique's take on veal chops a la Milanaise. I find you generally can't go too wrong coating something in bread crumbs and cheese. This would be a sure fire hit with children, too.

37. Macaroni with mirepoix & 38. Vegetable mirepoix

More of a formula than a recipe. Larousse Gastronomique calls for equal parts cooked macaroni and vegetable mirepoix to be spooned into a dish, covered in cheese and butter and then browned in the oven. For those not in the know, mirepoix is basically a generic vegetable base for many soups and stews. It's  made up of finely chopped onions, carrots and celery, although I've seen leeks and other vegetables creep in too. Larousse Gastronomique also speaks of mirepoix with meat, which is essentially the same thing but with some ham or bacon thrown in.

I'm surprised at how much I like this. I figured it'd just be boring. I intentionally left the vegetables larger and crunchier than what the recipe called for as I wanted that comforting texture. With coq au vin or whatever I'd do no such thing. I swear. I'd sliver that plant matter the fuck up. 

And ...
I know, by the way, that my plates and kitchen counter top look very student ghetto chic. I know. I'd like a nice marble counter top as opposed to the cheapest laminex that was going when this house was built. I'd like some flash plates--I really like Embrasse's plates, actually. Then again, I like everything Embrasse. Soon I'll no longer be a student and will actually be able to afford nice things so you, constant reader (you better be constant), can have sexy photos to look at when you're in environments--workplaces, etc--where it's maybe slightly inappropriate to Google Christina Hendricks.