The Main Event

Today I decided to grab two recipes from "Main Courses". Reaching into the file folder category and keeping it random can be difficult - sometimes paperclips get tangled, or edges stick together into a clumped mass.

Recipe #1: Joe Allen's Shrimp with Green Peppercorn Sauce

The first question I'm wondering is who is Joe Allen? So, doing a google search it seems that Joe Allen has a restaurant on Broadway.

24 large shrimp
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brandy
1 shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons green peppercorns
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt
White pepper
1 bunch dill, chopped

Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Heat oil and butter in large pan. Add shrimp and saute 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp and keep warm.

Deglaze pan with brandy and add shallot, garlic and green peppercorns. Reduce liquid by halr or until slightly thickened. Add whipping cream. Bring to boil and boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Return shrimp to pan and toss to coat well with sauce. Fold in dill. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe #2: Stuffed Veal Scallops

This is from a New York based food writer, according to the comments at the end of this recipe. From a quick read, it seems like a variation on bracciole. It is interesting that the dried mushrooms don't specify something like porcini or cepes. Also, it's been a while since I saw such detailed food processor instructions (something we take for granted now).

1 cup loosely packed imported dried Italian or Polish mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
1 (1 pound-12 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 pound boneless veal cubes, well trimmed, chilled
1/4 pound boneless pork cubes, well trimmed, chilled
1 slice fresh white bread
1 small handful parsley leaves
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 medium shallots, peeled
1 medium onion, peeled and cubed
Butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt, pepper
6 to 8 thin slices ceal round, pounded
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine

Place mushrooms in bowl with boiling water. Cover and set aside to soak at least 20 minutes. Drain and rinse mushrooms thoroughly to remove excess sand. Strain liquid through paper towel. Chop mushrooms coarsely and set aside with strained liquid. Seed and drain tomatoes. Set tomatoes aside and reserve liquid for another use.

Insert metal blade in dry food processor container. Grind veal and pork cubes to medium hamburger consistency using 4 to 6 (2-second) pulses. Transfer ground meat to mixing bowl. Without cleaning container, process bread to crumbs, about 30 seconds. Set bread crumbs aside separately.

Process parsley until finely minced and set aside. With machine running, drop garlic gloves and shallots through food chute and continue processing until minced. Add onion and chop finely with 1/2-second pulses. Empty container into medium skillet. Coarsely chop tomatoes in processor with 1/2-second pulses. Set aside for sauce.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet with onion mixture and stir over medium heat until mixture is tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground meat and toss until meat turns pale. Add parsley, bread crumbs and thyme and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer contents of skillet to mixing bowl and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Stir in egg and refrigerate until ready to stuff veal.

To stuff veal, divide stuffing among veal slices, roll up, tucking in ends and tie each with string to hold side and ends in place. Refrigerate until shortly before cooking time.

To cook, dredge each veal roll lightly in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil and saute veal until meat begins to color. Cover skillet, turn heat to low and cook until tender, turning several times, about 15 minutes. Remove and keep veal warm. Remove and discard string. Keep covered and transfer to 250-degree oven.

Reheat skillet if necessary and add white wine, scraping up brown bits until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until wine reduces to glaze. Add mushrooms to skillet with tomatoes, broth and reserved mushroom liquid. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce measures 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over veal. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.