Veal Rack & Coffee & Pecan Puddings

Veal Rack with Rosemary & Rocket Pesto
Womens Weekly Complete Book of Modern Classics Pg. 185

Coffee & Pecan Puddings with Caramel Sauce
Womens Weekly Complete Book of Modern Classics Pg. 353

Well welcome everyone again this week!

Julia Child said “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients”

And that is what this week’s meal is about – however……..

Just a warning – this weeks gorgeous veal rack is an EXPENSIVE cut of meat. Now, I don’t usually go too overboard, however, I really wanted to try this and I had to get a rather large rack to boot. So mince and sausages for the rest of the week. LOL!!

What a glorious cut of meat it is. Be sure to go to a very good butcher for this. The recipe suggests two cutlets per person but one is just fine as they are thick and meaty. So the rack of 8 does 8 people easily. This is not a difficult meal at all and looks spectacular so keep it for a special occasion like someones birthday celebration. The pesto is wizzed up in the blender and the smell of the rosemary is just wonderful. It is simply a matter of coating the meat and then cooking to your liking. Please don’t overcook this and be sure to rest the meat covered whilst you make the gravy from the pan drippings. Have everything for the gravy ready to go and work quickly. It was suggested to serve this with baked new potatoes and asparagus which all worked beautifully. There was silence whilst eating so I knew I was going to score well here and I did 10/10. The MAV was in heaven.

The little coffee and pecan puddings had a nice kick to them with the added flavour of the coffee. However, they are rich and when I do them again I am going to make even smaller ones (and cook them for less time of course) because they tended to be a little on the dry side and were filling. Watch the caramel sauce when you are making it because if you take your eye off it for a second it will crystallise. These were also not difficult so I didn’t feel as though I had slaved all day for this meal overall. The puddings received 8/10.

Veal Rack with Rosemary & Rocket Pesto

An expensive cut of meat however the outcome is worth it.

The Veal Rack

Rack of Veal – 8 cutlets
1 clove garlic
50 g baby rocket leaves
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C rosemary (coarsely chopped)
1 tbsp plain flour
3/4 C beef stock
1/4 C dry white wine
1 tbsp redcurrent jelly

Preheat oven to moderately hot (200°C/180° fan forced). Lightly oil shallow medium baking dish
Blend or process garlic, rocket, oil and 2 tablespoons of the rosemary until mixture forms a paste. Stir remaining rosemary into pesto.
Place veal rack on wire rack over large shallow flameproof baking dish; coat veal with pesto; Roast, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until veal is browned and cooked as desired. (this will depend on how thick the cutlets are) Remove veal from dish, cover to keep warm.
Place flameproof baking dish holding veal juices over heat, add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Gradually add stock, wine and jelly, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens slightly.
Serve veal, sliced into cutlets, with potatoes, asparagus and sauce.

The Potatoes

Place 1kg of baby new potatoes in an oiled baking dish and bake for 50 minutes, along with the veal, until tender. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and roast, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Asparagus

Steam 500g of asparagus and serve with the veal and potatoes

Coffee & Pecan Puddings with Caramel Sauce

These are very rich and filling so make more of them and smaller ones cooking for less time

¾ C pecans (toasted & coarsely chopped )
300 ml cream
1½ C brown sugar (firmly packed)
100 g butter (cold and chopped)
125 g butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ C Castor Sugar
2 Eggs
1 C Plain Flour
¼ C Milk
1 tbsp coffee (finely ground espresso)
1 C Self raising flour

Preheat oven to moderate 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease six ¾ cup moulds (or smaller ones if you are making more). Line the bases with baking paper.
Divide nuts among moulds; place moulds on oven tray.
Stir cream, brown sugar and chopped butter in small saucepan over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce over nuts in each mould; reserve remaining sauce.
Beat softened butter, extract and caster sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Stir in sifted flours, milk and coffee; divide mixture among moulds. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. (less if you are making smaller ones) Stand puddings 5 minutes before turning onto servicing plates.
Reheat reserved sauce. Serve puddings with sauce. Add cream and ice-cream if desired.