Pierre Gagnaire’s Veal Piccata Recipe & Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé
Pierre Gagnaire’s Veal Piccata Recipe & Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé
Sometimes the most distinctive of ingredients can bring the greatest surprises. As is the case with the addition of coffee in Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s veal piccata: “The coffee doesn’t complement nor overpower,” says Gagnaire, “instead, it emphasizes the delicacy of this vintage.”
The cuvée in question is again full of surprises: the Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé defies stereotypes. Its delicate, rose petal texture is underpinned by intense aromas of ripe berries, citrus fruits and pomegranate: a fullness that stands up to the creamy, earthiness of the morels cooked in coffee and cream. As Pierre Gagnaire explains, “A champagne like this is a reflection of the terroir and the talent of the Cellar Master.”
When it comes to cooking with champagne at home, it is essential that the other ingredients match the quality of what’s in the glass. We recommend investing in high-quality veal and seeking out fragrant ripe apricots for a truly exquisite dish.
Pracrical Information
- People: For 4
- Preparation time: 30 to 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 slices of veal fillets (120 g pieces)
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 180 g unsalted butter
- 4 soft apricots
- 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
- 35 pearl onions
- 20 g superfine sugar
- 100 g dried morel mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 1/4 L of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne
- 300 ml single cream
- 1 level tablespoon of ground coffee
- a bunch of chopped chives
- olive oil to taste
- fine sea salt to taste
- Sarawak white pepper (ground) to taste
Recipe steps
Step 1: Cooking the morel mushrooms
- Soak the morel mushrooms in water the day before. The next day, cut the tips from the mushroom stems. Rinse the mushrooms well and drain them.
- Chop the shallots, sweat them with 80 g of fresh butter in a small cast iron casserole dish, add the morel mushrooms and deglaze them with champagne.
- Leave to cook for a few minutes over a low heat. Then add the cream and leave to cook for another 20 minutes still over a low heat.
- Add the coffee and season to taste. Keep warm.
Step 2: Cooking the pearl onions
- Peel, wash and dry the onions. Cook them in a deep frying pan with 40 g of butter, 20 g of sugar and a pinch of fine salt.
- Fill up half the pan with water, cover with baking paper and bring to the boil. Leave it to cook gently until the water has completely evaporated (about 20 minutes).
Step 3: Cooking the veal
- Lightly season the 4 slices of veal with salt and sprinkle them with flour.
- In a large, very hot, non-stick frying pan, sear the meat in olive oil (2 minutes on each side) and set it aside on a plate.
- Wipe the pan and cook again for a few seconds with the remaining butter and apricots.
- Keep warm.
Step 4: Finish and presentation
- Remove from the heat and place the 4 leaves of romaine lettuce in the veal pan (they should be crisp but hot). Place them on large plates that have been warmed.
- Cut each slice of veal into 3. On each plate, place 3 pieces of veal on the salad, onions and soft apricot.
- Add the chopped chives to the cooking butter and divide them between each plate.
- Season with ground pepper and a pinch of ground coffee on the edge of the plate.
- Serve the morel mushrooms separately.