This time around, the Italians borrowed this dish from the French and made it their own.
Fricandò, from the French fricandeau, simply indicates a dish where a piece of meat, usually veal, but sometimes also pork, wrapped or picked with some form of bacon, here prosciutto, is slowly braised and served in its sauce, made of vegetables and white wine.
In France, it would be traditionally served with sorrel, wilted spinach or another green. I like to serve it with Swiss chard, quickly blanched, then sautéed in olive oil with garlic and lemon juice.
What a treat for a Sunday night dinner!
I used a bottom blade roast, all nicely tied up, which is a piece of meat that always keeps its moisture when slowly braised. Try to get your hands on this, and if you use another cut, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Fricandò
Ingredients:
800 g veal roast
50 g prosciutto crudo
1/2 glass dry white wine, like a Pinot Grigio
250 ml vegetable broth
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 clove
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
a few grindings of nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt, pepper
olive oil
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method:
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- Season the roast lightly with salt and more generously with pepper.
- Place the prosciutto slices next to each other on a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, slightly overlapping and place the roast on top. Using the wrap, drape the roast with the prosciutto. If you have time, secure it tightly with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and secure the roast tightly with kitchen twine.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat and cook the prosciutto wrapped roast all over until the prosciutto starts to get crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the roast from the pot and set aside.
- Cut the vegetables not too finely and add to the pot, along with the parsley and spices, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
- Deglaze with the wine and add the roast back in the pot.
- Add just enough broth to come to 1/3 of the roast. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for 2-3 hours, covered. Uncover for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Place the roast on a plate and tent with foil. While the meat is resting, finish the sauce. If the sauce is too thin, reduce it on the stove, if too thick, add a bit of broth. Take out the bay leaf and the cinnamon stick, add the butter, and with a handheld blender, blend the vegetables with the sauce, until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Remove the kitchen twine and slice the roast, place on a warm serving platter, cover with the sauce and serve immediately with the vegetable of your choice.
Mon Food Blog 