Veal Purses
4 x 150 g/5 oz veal escalopes, cut into strips,
trimmed of fat
2 teaspoons cornflour
juice of 1 lemon
6 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon polyunsaturated vegetable oil
450 ml/3/4 pint veal stock
50 g/2 oz mangetout
75 g/3 oz salsify, peeled and cut into strips
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut into strips
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Pancakes:
100 g/4 oz plain unbleached white flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
150 ml/1/2 pint skimmed milk
150 ml/1/2 pint water
Place the veal in a shallow dish, mix the cornflour with the lemon juice to a smooth cream. Add the white wine and pour over the veal. Leave to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the pancakes. Place all the pancake ingredients in a blender, blend for 10 seconds until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prepare the pancake pan by heating well and wiping out with oil. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of batter and swirl about the pan until evenly spread across the bottom. Place over high heat for 30 seconds to 1. minute. Turn the pancake over by using a palette
knife. Cook until brown. Make all the pancakes, turning them out on to a plate.
Place 150 ml/1/2 pint of the veal stock and all the marinade in a pan, having put the veal strips to one side. Bring to the boil and reduce until thick and syrupy, stirring constantly. Blanch the vegetables for 10 seconds in boiling water. Mix the veal strips, the sauce and three-quarters of the vegetables together. Season well with salt and pepper.
Wrap up equal amounts of the mixture in 12 pancakes. Arrange side by side in a steamer. Bring the remaining stock to the boil. Cover the food with a tight-fitting lid and steam over the stock for 10 minutes.
Arrange 3 purses on each plate and keep warm. Reduce the stock by boiling rapidly until syrupy and serve separately. Garnish the purses with the remaining vegetables. Eat at once.
SERVES 4
Note: Pancakes freeze well, if separated with pieces of greaseproof paper, and so can he made in advance. Different vegetable combinations can be used according to season.
