Recipe No 480 savoury Adapted 2014

Cöte de veau dijonnaise

This recipe, like eggs en cocotte, is a mustard-lover’s delight. You can use any mustard you like, though the recipe suggests a Dijon-style mustard and we’ve found it to be the best.

See the notes below for a more modernist approach to this French classic.

Adapted from Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan

Time

Prep:

Total:

Difficulty
easy
Yield
4 serves • 1200 g
Metric Imperial

Processes

  • Veal chops (4 each)
    900 g
  • Salt (1½ tsp)
    4 g
  • Pepper (½ tsp)
    0.4 g
  1. 01
    Pat dry with paper towel.
  2. 02
    Season.
  3. 03
    Warm 4 serving plates in the oven set to lowest temperature.

  • Neutral oil (2 tbsp)
    25 g
  1. 04
    Heat in a fry pan over medium-high heat.

  • Bacon, cut into lardons
    170 g
  1. 05
    Add to pan and fry until lightly browned, about .
  2. 06
    Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  • Baby onions, peeled (16 small)
    225 g
  1. 07
    Add to pan and sauté over medium heat, shaking the pan often so they colour evenly. Cook until browned, about .
  2. 08
    Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, separately to the lardons.
  3. 09
    Add the chops to the pan and brown them, about each side.
  4. 10
    Remove from pan and set aside.

  • Flour (1 tbsp)
    7 g
  1. 11
    Add to pan and whisk. Cook until bubbilng.

  • Dry white wine (¾ cup)
    170 g
  1. 12
    Add to pan and bring to boil, stirring constantly.

  • Veal broth (¾ cup)
    175 g
  1. 13
    Add to pan and stir. Bring to boil.
  2. 14
    Stir in the lardons .
  3. 15
    Replace the chops in the pan. Nestle them down into the sauce.

  1. 16
    Add to pan.
  2. 17
    Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for .
  3. 18
    Add the onions and continue simmering until they are soft and the chops are tender, . Turn the chops occasionally and add more broth or water if the sauce gets too thick. (The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chops. They should yield slightly when prodded with a two-pronged fork.)
  4. 19
    Discard the bouquet garni.
  5. 20
    Transfer chops to warmed plates.

  • Creme fraiche (¼ cup)
    65 g
  1. 21
    Add to pan and bring just to a simmer.
  2. 22
    Remove pan from heat.

  • Dijon (2 tbsp)
    45 g
  • Parsley, chopped (1 tbsp)
    3.8 g
  1. 23
    Add to pan and stir to combine.
  2. 24
    Spoon sauce over the chops and serve.

Notes

The fresh, piquant taste of mustard will turn bitter if overcooked. It should not be boiled.

For a modernist method, sous vide the meat and onions. Lightly brown each chop by deep frying at 200°C / 390°F for 40 seconds. Pay with paper towel to remove the oil immediately out of the fryer. (Consider freezing each chop for prior to deep frying.) The deep fry stage has multiple benefits: it begins to form a crust, uneven surfaces are plumped up and the meat holds it shape better when vacuum packed (no need to add oil to the vacuum bag). Vacuum seal and cook sous vide for at 54°C / 129°F. When time to serve, remove from bag, pat dry and finish browning by deep frying again at 200°C / 390°F for another 40 seconds. Pat with paper towel to remove oil. Cook the onions at 83°C / 181°F for and then pat dry with paper towel before deep frying at 180°C / 355°F for . Prepare the sauce in advance (hold off on the parsley until service) and hold in a vacuum flask to keep warm. Using 0.5 g / 0.02 oz of xanthan gum in place of the flour to thicken the sauce.

Making ahead

Peel and trim the onions. This takes a long time!

Prepare the bouquet garni.

Prepare the veal stock.

Food pairings

Asparagus. Steamed green beans. Carrots vichy.

Drink pairings

Chardonnay

Categorisation

Category
savoury
Meal
dinner
Cuisine
french
Diet
omnivorous
Tags
dijon french cuisine mustard veal