Veal saltimbocca

" My secret pleasure is bacon, and any dish with bacon always tastes great. Here is a melt in the mouth bacon wrapped veal parcels, flavoured with garlic and sage. Saltimbocca has always intrigued me, as it literally means "jump in your mouth", and once you eat it, you will realise why ..." 

Serves 5 

Ingredients:

• 600 grams veal steaks
• 200 grams (around 12 rashers) bacon (or pancetta or prosciutto)
• 20 sage leaves (small)
• Flour for coating (approximately 4 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 3 handfuls spinach (chopped)
• 1 tbsp capers (optional)
• 1 tsp lime/lemon juice 
• Paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Make either 5 big steaks or 10 small veal steaks from 600 grams of veal
2. Beat the veal steaks with a mallet, till they are very thin ( as thin as you can manage without tearing them)
3. Season the steaks with salt, pepper and paprika to taste 
4. Press 2 sage leaves on each small steak, or 4 in each big steak 
5. Use 10 rashers of bacon, by wrapping 1 rasher of bacon, around each of the veal steak and beat a couple of times with the mallet
6. Season the flour with salt, pepper and paprika 
7. Cover the veal steaks lightly in the flour, removing any excess flour
8. In a frying pan add the olive oil and butter 
9. When the butter is foaming, add the veal, on high and then lower gas to medium, to get a nice golden crust
10. Add the garlic and the remaining sage leaves, all around the steak,s in the frying pan
11. Turn the veal steaks after 2-3 minutes 
12. Remove the veal steaks after another 2 minutes, and put them in a pre-heated oven till the rest of the dish is ready, leaving pan juices, garlic, sage in the frying pan
13. Chop the remaining, 2 rashers of bacon and add to the frying pan, cooking off excess liquid
14. De-glaze the frying pan, with the wine, cooking off the alcohol ( Basically on high heat add the wine and let it cook till reduced by half)
15. Add lemon juice, spinach, capers (optional) and season to taste
16. Serve the dish, with the spinach as a base and top with the veal saltimbocca 

Notes:

• I prefer smaller size steaks, as then the flavours are more concentrated, planning for 2 pieces per person
• Be careful while seasoning the veal, flour, spinach with salt as the dish is salty due to the bacon additions
• Cooking time depends on quality, thickness of veal and required doneness, so adjust accordingly
• All preparations till step 7, can be done ahead of time, refrigerate veal covered with cling film till ready to cook
• Instead of veal, chicken could also be used for a chicken saltimbocca recipe

Chicken coq au vin

" This favorite, french classic, pronounced as 'chicken cok-a-vaen' , is often asked for, by my family and friends, over the last 20 years. My  spikier version, is an ideal party dish, as it's made 3-4 hours before and the flavours mature and mingle and form the most velvety , bacon-chicken-wine combination ever..."

Ingredients:

•  1 chicken cut into 16 pieces
• 100 grams bacon chunks
• 2 tbsp ( 30 grams) flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp butter
• 250 grams small onions
• 200 grams mushrooms
• 11/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup cognac (optional, else use wine only)
• 6 cloves garlic ( crushed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stick cardamom (2 inch)
• 6-8 peppercorns
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 tsp dried thyme ( or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
• 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tbsp oil ( olive or vegetable)
• 1 1/2 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Wash, dry and season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, keep on the side. 
2. In a thick wide bottomed pan or flat wok, stir fry the mushroom in 1/2 tbsp butter. Take out, when all liquid has evaporated,  in a big side dish
3. In the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil, add the onions and stir fry on high till lightly brown. Again take out in the side dish (same as the mushrooms)
4. In the same pan, add the bacon bits and cook till brown and crispy and has left all its fat.Again take out in the side dish( pile on top of the mushrooms & onions)
5. If the bacon fat is enough, brown the chicken pieces till golden on both sides, in a single layer, in the same fat (if not add 1 tbsp oil). 
6. Add the cognac, let it cook through. Then take out and pile the chicken in the side dish, on all the other ingredients ( scrape out as much from the pan as possible of the bottom bits and keep with the chicken) 
7. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil,  and the spices ( bay leaf, cardamom, cloves & peppercorns) and stir fry for 2-3 min, till brown and fragrant.
8. Add the garlic cloves and stir fry till transparent and the raw smell has disappeared.
9. Mix the 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp butter
10. Now add the flour and butter mixture to the hot pan and cook till brown, till raw smell has disappeared
11. Blend 1/2 cup of water (little at a time),mixing all the time, till a thick paste is formed ( the roux).
12. Add the wine, thyme and season to taste, bringing the mixture to a boil.
13. Add all the ingredients from the side dish ( mushroom, onion, chicken & bacon), making sure all the juices are added back.
14. Cook through either on stove top for 30 minutes or in a pre-heated oven (150 degrees C) for 30 minutes, till yummy and done.

Note:

• To get the perfect roux ( flour and butter and water paste), mix equal quantities of butter and four. Cook it, till raw smell is removed and mixture is lightly toasted. Add in cool water, little by little, mixing it in at each stage for the perfect paste. In case the roux, is lumpy, just beat with a whisk till smooth or strain it, if beating also does not work.
• The gravy should be smooth and thick enough to coat back of spoon, if not add some cornflour and water to thicken the dish.
• Do cook it 3-4 hrs before serving, to really get the best flavours.