Braised Stuffed Veal Breast with Porcini Mushrooms

From In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard (New York: William Morrow).

Makes four entrée servings

STUFFING
Kosher salt
¼ pound kale, hard center ribs removed
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice
Freshly ground black pepper
½ pound assorted mushrooms, such as shiitake, portabella, and/or chanterelle, cleaned and chopped into ½ inch diche
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

BRAISING LIQUID
½ large boneless veal breast, trimmed of excess fat (about 3 pounds after trimming; have your butcher point out which side of the breast was attached to the bone)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into ½ inch dice
1 ounce dried porcini, reconstituted in warm water and coarsely chopped (save soaking liquid)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ cups dry Marsala
1 cup drained high-quality canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1. To make the stuffing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Add the kale to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and blanch for an additional 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables and plunge into the ice water. Drain again and squeeze gently in paper towels to remove excess moisture.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until mushrooms have released their moisture and it has been cooked off. Add the garlic and allspice and cook until aromatic, only a minute or two. Add the kale and carrots and toss well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Add the remaining stuffing ingredients to the mushroom mixture. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Trim any excess fat from both sides of the veal breast and lay it on a flat surface in front of you, with the side that had the bones facing up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing evenly over the breast, leaving a 1-inch boarder. Make sure the kale is distributed evenly. Roll the breast up like a jelly roll, beginning with whichever side will produce the stoutest roll. Tie the roll together with butcher’s twine, and season the exterior of the roll with salt and pepper.

5. To make the braise, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a braising pan or Dutch oven that will hold the veal snugly. Put the veal in the pan and sear on all sides. Remove to a platter.

6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, with the onion, carrot, and celery season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the porcini, garlic, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the reserved porcini soaking liquid (strained to remove grit), the Marsala, and tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve any crispy bits.

7. Return the veal to the pan and add enough chicken stock to come a third of the way up the side of the roll (about 2 cups) and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the veal tightly with a piece of aluminum foil, pressing it down into the pan and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and braise for 3 hours, turning the roll several times during the braising so it cooks evenly. Add chicken stock as necessary to keep the braising juice one-third of the way up the veal. The veal is done when a cake tester slides in and out of the roll with no resistance. Remove the veal to a platter and cover loosely with foil

8. There should be about 3 cups of juices left in the pan with vegetables. If the juices seem too thin for a sauce, increase the heat and reduce until they thicken. Remove the bay leaves, add the thyme and oregano, and season with salt and pepper.

9. Remove the string from the veal and cut into 8 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Pour the sauce onto a warm platter, arrange overlapping slices of the veal on top of the sauce, and serve.

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