I was very pleased with the maincourse on New Year’s Eve, and I still am. I prepped as much as I could the day before, so I could have fun with the guests and not spend my whole evening in the kitchen on the night. It worked really well, so I am including this in the recipe below.
It is not really difficult, just a lot of different things to juggle. But follow my lead and it will turn out well. Promise.
Pan-fried fillet of veal with Pommes Duchesse, yellow beet, mushroom hash, red wine jus and thyme foam, serves 9
Everything apart from the meat you can prepare the day before and reheat before serving. If you prefer to cook it all at once, you have to make sure to time everything well.
DAY 1:
Pommes Duchesse
1,8 kg King Edward potatoes
50-100 g softened salted butter
salt, pepper
Peel the potatoes and cut into similar sized pieces (so they cook evenly). Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add salt. Bring to the boil and boil on medium heat with the lid half on until soft. Drain and let the steam evaporate. Mush with a masher or an electric whisk. Add the butter in batches until a good consistency. It should be firm but smooth. Season. Leave to cool and put in the fridge until the next day.
Yellow beets
1 kg yellow beets
Wash the beets and place in a saucepan. Cover with water, add salt and bring to the boil. Boil whole until soft.
Drain and let cool a little. Once you can hold them with your hands without burning peel off the skin with your hands or scrape it off with a small knife. Trim them into rounds. Leave to cool and put in the fridge until the next day.
Mushroom hash
200 g chestnut mushrooms
150 g shiitake mushroooms
plenty of salted butter
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
salt, black pepper
1 handful chopped parsley
Brush/wash the shrooms and slice. Fry in batches in plenty of butter on a high heat. Lower the heat, add more butter and the pressed garlic. Return all the mushrooms to the pan and season well. Stir in the chopped parslet. Leave to cool and put in the fridge until the next day.
Red wine jus
This is not a recipe, because I didn’t make notes, but a rough sketch you can work with. Just taste if often and adjust the flavours.
2 onions, whole with skin on
3 garlic cloves, whole with skin on
mild oil
1 part red wine
1 part beef stock
2 parsley stalks
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper
balsamic vinegar
brown sugar
1 tbsp Maizena if needed
Cut the onion into wedges, unpeeled. Place on a roasting tray with the garlic cloves. Add oil and roast for about 20 minutes in 180C.
Place onion and garlic in a large saucepan. Add wine and stock, parsley and bay leaf,. Reduce until half. Then add to your taste: balsamic, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour it through a sieve. To thicken add Maizena and bring to the boil. Stir until thick enough. Leave to cool and put in the fridge until the next day.
Thyme foam
300 ml cream (single or double)
1 large handful fresh thyme sprigs
salt, pepper
Bring the cream and thyme to the boil. Reduce until half. Season to taste. Leave to cool and put in the fridge until the next day (leave the thyme in).
DAY 2:
Pommes Duchesse
Mash since the day before
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
Heat the mash covered in 160C oven. Then add one yolk at the time and fold/beat into the mash. Season. Either pipe (with a sturdy piping bag) or shape into eggs with two spoons. Place the shapes on parchment paper, 2 shapes per person at least. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, 170C.
Yellow beets
the cooked beets
butter
Slice the beets into 1cm thick slices. Fry them in butter until golden and warm throughout. Season.
Mushrooms hash
Heat up the mushrooms
Red wine jus
Heat up in a saucepan. Adjust the seasoning if needed and check thickness. Add water or maizena to adjust.
Thyme foam
the thyme-infused cream
100 ml skimmed milk
salt, pepper
Remove the thyme by pouring through a sieve. Pour the cream into a saucepan and add milk. Bring to the boil to heat up. Adjust the seasoning. Beat the mixture foamy with an electric whisk or stick blender.
The veal
1,8 kg trimmed fillet of veal, at room temperature, cut into two
butter for frying
salt, pepper
Heat up a frying pan until very hot. Add the butter and brown the meat on all sides, including the ends. Season well. Place in a roasting tin and pierce the thickest part of the meat with a meat thermometer. Roast in 160C oven until the inside temperature of the meat is 68C (for medium). Remove from oven and cover the meat with cling film. Add the meat juices to the jus. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. Then cut into 2 cm thick slices.
Serving
Place two beet slices in the middle of the plate. Top with a spoonful of the mushroom hash. Place two Pommes Duchesse shapes on one side. Place one or two slices of meat on top of the beets and mushrooms. Spoon the jus around the plate. Pour the foam on top of the meat.
Scandelights 