The Normandy region of France is famous for growing apples, and for related products like apple cider and the wonderful apple brandy they call Calvados.
There’s only one bad way to cook veal scallops, and that’s well done. Of the many good ways this might be my very favorite.
Veal Normande
From 30 Minute Meals – For 4
1-½ lbs boneless veal slices (scallops)
½ cup flour
1 tablespoon each butter and oil
¼ cup applejack, Calvados or brandy
2 pippin or Granny Smith apples, halved, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup sour cream
Place veal between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to 1/8 inch thickness. Coat with flour.
Warm serving platter in 200F oven
Melt butter and oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté veal until lightly browned but still pale pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to warm platter.
Add Calvados to pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add apple slices and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in sour cream, and simmer until warm.
Serve the veal topped with a little of the sauce, serve the remaining sauce separately.
Veal scallops and Calvados are both luxury items not well suited to my current budget, and also not found in any of the nearby markets. I’m not the first person to have that problem. Many classic veal dishes are commonly reproduced with thin-sliced lean pork; if you’ve ever eaten in a German restaurant you’ve probably seen Schweinschnitzel.
Here’s what I’ll actually be eating. This isn’t quite the same preparation, the meat isn’t pounded thin or finished with cream. Pork, sage and apples is right up there among the classic flavor combinations IMO. I was going to cook it last night so I could take a picture, but that didn’t happen.
Pork with Apples and Applejack
From Bon Appétit – For 2
1 pound ½-inch thick boneless pork loin cutlets or loin chops
1 teaspoon ground sage
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2½ tablespoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large pippin or Granny Smith apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup applejack, Calvados or brandy
Pat pork dry. Rub sage into both sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt 1½ tablespoons butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate.
Add onion to skillet, reduce heat to medium and sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add apple and stir 2 minutes. Return pork to pan. Add broth, then applejack. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to plates.
Increase heat and boil apple mixture until liquid begins to thicken, adding pork juices accumulated on plates, about 3 minutes. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon apple mixture over pork and serve immediately.
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