e'cco escalope of veal

Escalope of veal with marsala, beans and pancetta from Philip Johnson, owner and chef of e’cco bistro in Brisbane. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic, broken into cloves, skins intact
• 700g trimmed veal backstrap or veal fillet
• plain flour, for dusting
• 200g small green (French) beans
• unsalted butter
• ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 125ml (½ cup) cream
• good splash of Marsala (sweet Italian wine, similar to sweet sherry)
• small bunch sage, picked and washed, optional
• 12 slices flat or round pancetta, grilled
• olive oil, for cooking
• salt/freshly ground black pepper

Method

Slow roast the garlic by placing cloves on a sheet of aluminium foil, drizzle liberally with olive oil and fold up loosely. Place on a tray and bake at 160°c for 30-40 minutes until cloves are tender. Set aside.

Cut the veal into medallions, approximately ½ cm thick. Lay veal between two sheets of plastic food wrap or plastic bag. Using a meat mallet on its side, gently tap the medallions into escalopes approximately 8cm in diameter. Season with salt and black pepper then dust with flour, shaking to remove excess.

Heat a little olive oil or butter in a non-stick or heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Fry escalopes until just golden – do not overcook.

Meanwhile, blanch beans in a pot of boiling salted water; drain. Heat a good knob of butter in a saucepan over moderate heat; add walnuts and cook until butter begins to turn nut brown. Add blanched beans and continue to cook briefly. Add cream and a good splash of marsala; bring back to the boil then remove from heat. Check seasoning.

If using sage leaves, heat a little olive oil in a small frying pan, add sage and fry until crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Reheat slow roasted garlic cloves, if necessary.

To serve, arrange 3-4 escalopes on the base of each plate. Place beans and walnuts in the centre; drizzle over cream. Finish with roast garlic cloves, pancetta and sage leaves, if using.