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The pan-to-oven method is a quick and neat way of cooking any chop, and this is one of my favourite recipes for the veal variety. Put some broccoli on to steam while the chops are cooking, and your meal will be ready in less than half an hour.
Serves 4
4 organic veal chops
1 lemon
a few sprigs of thyme
a little olive oil
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon small capers, rinsed
double cream, to taste
Put the chops in a shallow dish. Add a couple of strips of zest finely pared from the lemon and a squeeze of its juice (keep the lemon, you’ll need more juice later), plus the thyme and a good slosh of olive oil. Turn the chops over a few times with the flavourings, cover and leave to marinate for a couple of hours.
Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7. Place an ovenproof dish, big enough to hold the chops, in the oven to heat up. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat. Add the chops and brown on one side for just a minute, then on the other, seasoning them with salt and pepper as they brown. Remove from the pan with tongs and arrange in the preheated dish. Add the sprigs of thyme from the marinade, tucking them underneath the chops so they don’t burn. Return the frying pan to the heat, add a wine glass of water and the juice of half the lemon and use the liquid to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits of caramelised meat. Let the liquid bubble until reduced by half, then tip over the chops. Season well. Put in the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the thinner, fattier ends are lovely and crisp.
Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm. Taste the pan juices and, if you’d like to intensify the flavour, boil them down a little. When the flavour is to your liking, add the capers and a little double cream. Bring to the boil again, then pour over the chops, and serve.
The River Cottage Meat Book
www.rivercottage.net
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