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Roasted Veal with Blueberry Sauce

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When I first started cooking, I came at it from a point of view that I never thought to question: everything had to be made fresh, same-day, from scratch. I wish I had thought to question that paradigm, because it simply isn’t true. Some things are best freshly made, but somethings things are just as good the next day – or even better. A really fancy, special meal – the kind that is normally considered an all-day affair – if carefully constructed, can take advantage of this truth.

I recommend you start with the potatoes. You can make them two or more days in advance. Make the cake the day before; it will be indistinguishable from same-day, especially if you use the optional simple syrup. The two remaining elements – the veal and carrots – are best same-day, but you can make the carrots while the roast is in the oven. Even so, you can do a good deal of the veal and carrot prep well in advance. If you get a few small things – like making the flour mixture that will coat the veal – out of the way a day or two before you plan to serve the meal, the final stretch of work will be easier and less stressful. You’ll find yourself enjoying the meal more, and you’ll find you have the energy to enjoy your guests once they arrive.

This is a super-deluxe meal with homemade warmth on the “Thanksgiving at Grandma’s” level. If you think your house smells like heaven by the time dinner’s ready, just wait until you taste it. This would make an amazing foundation for Christmas dinner; it would just need a bit of dressing up and holiday accoutrements.

Garlic-Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs. russet potatoes (~4 potatoes), sliced into chunks
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
4 oz. cream cheese
¾ cups milk or cream, divided, to taste
2 Tbs butter, softened, plus more for dotting
2 Tbs chives, optional
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¾ tsp onion powder, optional
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pinch marjoram, optional
¼-½ cup thinly sliced green onion, optional
Bacon bits or 1 slice cooked crumpled bacon, optional
Paprika, optional

1. 1. Submerge the potatoes in salted water. Bring them to a boil in a covered pot, about 20 minutes over medium-high heat. Simmer with the lid askew, lowering the heat to maintain a simmer rather than a boil, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
   2. Beat softened cream cheese and sour cream until blended.
   3. Add hot, strained potatoes and beat on lowest power^[a] until smooth, adding milk by the tablespoon as needed, just until roughly blended and smooth.
   4. Add butter, (chives), salt, pepper, (and onion powder), and mix well.
   5. Add garlic, (marjoram, and green onion), and beat until well-mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Check for creaminess, and add more milk if necessary.
   6. Spoon into a small casserole dish.^[b]
   7. At this point, you can serve these potatoes. However, if you’re making them ahead, allow them to cool, cover them (with foil or a tight-fitting, oven-proof lid) and refrigerate them for up to 4 or 5 days. When it comes time to reheat them, dot them with butter and pour 1 Tbs of milk over them, cover them tightly, and proceed with reheating instructions (which you’ll find within the veal recipe).

White on White Cake: see the recipe here.

Roasted Veal with Blueberries

1½ tsp dried thyme
1½ tsp dried rosemary
½ cup AP flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 two-pound veal rolled roast
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup port
1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. dried blueberries
1 lemon, 1 sliced into 1/8″ slices and seeds removed^[c]
1 shallot, finely diced
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp. butter
Baby spinach, for serving
Lemon thyme, to garnish, optional
Honeydew melon, deseeded, peeled, and cubed

1. Process the rosemary and thyme until powdery. Mix with flour, salt, and pepper.
2. Open a window. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over a high flame until hot, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, entirely coat the roast in the flour mixture. Add oil to the skillet, wait a few moments, then brown the roast on all sides. Insert a temperature probe into the roast, and set it to 135ºF (for rare).
3. While the roast is in the oven, prep the sauce: in a small mixing bowl, stir together the wine, stock, port, syrup, and dried blueberries.
4. When the roast reaches 70ºF, retrieve the potatoes from the refrigerator and slide them into the oven, tightly covered with foil or a lid. Once the roast is done, remove the skillet from the oven and place it on one of your burners. Remove the roast from the pan and tent it with foil. Uncover the potatoes and leave them in the oven (still going strong at 350°F).
5. Light a medium-high flame under the skillet and toss in the lemons. Sauté them on one side for a minute, flip them and continue for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside.
6. Toss the shallots into the skillet and stir them non-stop until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the wine mixture and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the fresh blueberries and cook until they soften, 2 minutes. Off heat. Stir in the butter. Remove the potatoes from the oven. (Garnish the potatoes with bacon and paprika.)
7. To plate, lay some spinach leaves on a dinner plate. Arrange a serving of veal over the spinach. Ladle the sauce over the veal. Add a serving of potatoes and carrots to the plate. Garnish with two lemon slices, (lemon thyme), and a few melon wedges. The warm veal with nicely wilt the spinach underneath it, and it all comes together with the sauce to make a fantastic combo. The sweet, cool melon provides a fantastic contrast, yet fully works with everything else on the plate.

Honey-Glazed Carrots

1½ lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced into similar-size pieces
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
Minced parsley, for garnish, optional

1. Submerge the carrots in salted water. Cover the pot, and bring the water to a full boil over medium-high heat, about 15 minutes. Simmer on low heat with the cover askew, until the carrots are soft, but clearly underdone, about 2 minutes.
2. Strain the carrots and transfer them to a 12-inch skillet over a medium flame. Add butter, honey, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the honey mixture thickens and coats the carrots, 7-8 minutes.

These carrots are best freshly made. The carrots themselves will survive reheating nicely; however, the glaze will loose some of its flavor.

Notes

1. Lowest mixing power will leave your potatoes with a slightly rustic texture. If you want something absolutely smooth, user a higher speed, or consider another method, such as a ricer.
2. If you don’t have a small casserole for the potatoes, use whatever medium-sized, oven-proof vessel you do have, even if that means a large loaf pan.
3. I feel horrible that I don’t have the lemon garnish in these pictures. We ate all the lemon slices! (These pictures are of the reheated leftovers, actually, which made quite a terrific lunch.) I thought I’d set a few slices aside for the pictures, but I hadn’t. Oh well. I thought about sautéing some to use for these photos, but they way it works in the recipe, they get sautéed in the veal fond, an it gives them the most amazing color. Hard to duplicate without making another roast – which I certainly will, in time, and will update the photos then.

In terms of timing, plan to start in on the roast no less than 1¼ hours before your guests are set to arrive. Expect to serve dinner about 45 minutes after they arrive.

Roasted Veal with Blueberry Sauce:
Dinner for Four

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! In preparing this post, I relied on several excellent resources: Genius Kitchen, Sunny Anderson, Recipes Plus, Antlers Fireside Grill. “Pride of Northern Michigan Cookbook.” Eastport, MI: Creative Characters, 1995; pg. 9. In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita, and Six Course Dinner. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.

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