What you need?

2 L/3 ½ pt stock or 4 chicken stock dissolved in the same amount of water

1 medium-size onion

1 medium-size carrot

1 medium-sized stalk celery

1 bay leaf

5-6 peppercorn

1 kg/2 ¼ lb boned out breast of veal

FOR THE STUFFING

100 g/4 oz calf’s brain

100 g/4 oz calf’s sweetbreads

Juice of ½ lemon salt

50 g/2 oz crustless white bread

200 ml/7 fl oz milk

1 medium-sized onion, very finely chopped

75 g/3 oz butter

150 g/5 oz pie veal, with all fat and skin removed, cut into 10 mm ½ in cubes 25 g/ 1 oz pistachio nuts (optional)

7.5 ml / ½ tsp dried marjoram

5 medium-sized eggs

100 g/4 oz cooked fresh peas

45 ml/3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese freshly ground black pepper

Serve To

French bean and tomato salad

How to make?

Step 1

For the stuffing, wash the calf’s brain and the sweetbreads under cold running water. Soak in cold water about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the brain and sweetbreads to a saucepan and add water to cover, the lemon juice and a little salt. Bring them slowly to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Drain then refresh the brain and the sweetbread under cold running water and drain them well. Remove as much of their membranes as possible and cut them into small pieces.

Step 4

Meanwhile, put the bread in a bowl, cover it with the milk and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Squeeze out most of the milk and reserve the bread.

Step 5

Saute the onion in the butter in a frying pan over medium low heat until the onion is transparent. Add the pie veal and cook for 5 minutes. Add the brain and the sweetbreads and sauté for a further 5 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat. When cool, remove and chop the meat, reserving the pan juices.

Step 6

In a bowl mix together the chopped meat, pan juices, pistachio nuts (if using), the marjoram, eggs, peas, bread and the Parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Step 7

Put the stock in a large saucepan with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring it to the boil.

Step 8

Meanwhile, make a horizontal cut along the longer side of the breast if the butcher has not already done so, leaving the other three sides uncut. Enlarge this to make a pocket almost the length and width of the meat. Push the stuffing into this pocket loosely as the stuffing will swell in cooking. Carefully sew up the opening and any other hole that might have been cut by the butcher when boning.

Step 9

When the stock is boiling, gently lower the veal into the saucepan. Turn down the heat and cook at the lowest simmer for about 2 hours.

Step 10

Lift the meat out of the pan and put it between two plates. Put a weight on top of the plate and leave the meat until cold. Serve, thinly sliced, with a French bean and tomato salad, tossed in olive oil and vinegar.

Preparation Time

1 hour, then 2 hours cooking plus chilling. Delicious.