Veal Recipes

Serves 2

Veal Chops with Caponata

Ingredients
2 veal chops
olive oil
2 garlic bulbs, halved , plus a couple of extra cloves
2 sprigs rosemary
butter
1 lemon , halved
½ aubergine
½ onion
1 red pepper
2 stalks celery
3 plum tomatoes
sugar
10 caper berries
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
a handful green olives , halved
a handful basil leaves
a handful pine nuts , toasted

Directions
Season the chops really well all over, heat a frying pan to hot and add a slug of olive oil.
Add the chops, the halved bulbs of garlic and the rosemary.
Cook the veal for 3 minutes on each side then add a knob of butter to the pan, let it sizzle and baste the chops with it.
Cook for another 2 minutes each side – you want them pink in the middle.
Transfer to a plate to rest, spoon over some of the cooking juices and squeeze over half a lemon. Cover loosely with foil.

To make the caponata, chop the aubergine, onion, pepper, celery and tomatoes into small dice – you want them to cook quickly so that they keep their shape.
Wipe out the pan (discard the garlic bulbs and rosemary) and drizzle in more olive oil.
Fry the aubergine on a high heat until brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Add a couple of whole garlic cloves to flavour the oil and, halfway through, add a big pinch of salt and sugar to caramelise the aubergine.

Add the onions and peppers, cook for 2-3 minutes, add the celery and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Throw in the tomatoes, caper berries, capers and olives and toss for 1 minute.
Zest and juice the other lemon half, add to the pan and take off the heat.
Toss in the basil – it will wilt in the sauce.
(This recipe may make more caponata than you need for the veal but it’s great the next day on toasted sourdough.)

To finish the dish, spoon a pile of the caponata on each plate.
Slice each chop into three and sit on top. Mix a little olive oil with the resting juices from the meat and spoon over the veal.
Scatter over the pine nuts and serve.

Recipe from olive magazine  adapted form a recipe from Gordon Ramsey