Escalopes de Veau Lafayette
Author and Educator
James Beard was an inveterate world traveler who enjoyed staying at the finest European hotels. When in London his preferred choice was the old Berkeley, where he discovered this unusual, but delicious, veal dish, named for the Marquis de Lafayette. The hotel still exists on Wilton Place in the Knightsbridge section of London, though Escalopes de Veau Lafayette probably does not. It deserves a place on anyone’s menu regardless.
Ingredients
- 4 large veal scallops, slightly pounded
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Flour as needed
- 5 to 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced
- 1 small avocado, cut in crosswise slices
- Grated Parmesan cheese as needed
- 1/4 cup port wine
- 1/2 cup veal, beef, or chicken stock
Method
Preheat broiler.
Season veal scallops with salt and pepper, dust them lightly with flour, and sauté them quickly on both sides in 4 tablespoons butter until golden brown. Remove to a hot ovenproof serving dish, but do not drain the pan.
Arrange four rows of the tomato and avocado slices on a baking sheet, overlapping them alternately, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan cheese. Put under the broiler just until the cheese colors. Arrange a row of slices lengthwise down the center of each veal scallop. Dust with a little more Parmesan, and brown lightly under the broiler.
Meanwhile, add port wine and stock to the cooking pan and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping with a wooden spoon to remove the brown glaze from the bottom. Let this sauce cook down and reduce, then blend in the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoon butter and pour the sauce around the veal.
Yield
4 servings
