Recipe: Ukrainian Braised Veal with Caviar Sauce

Ukrainian: Teliatyna z Pidlyvoiu Iz Ikry (Braised Veal With Caviar Sauce)

To serve 6 to 8

3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of thinly sliced onions
1 carrot, scraped and cut into 1/ 2 inch rounds
4 sprigs of parsley
2 stalks of celery with their leaves, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon peel
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
3 1/ 2 to 4-pounds of boneless veal, cut from either the leg or the rump and securely tied
1 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of potato starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) black caviar
1/8 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

In a heavy 6-quart casserole, melt the butter over high heat. Add the onions, carrot, parsley, celery, bay leaves, cloves and lemon peel and cover the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the veal and brown for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it every 2 or 3 minutes so that it browns evenly on all sides. Then place it on top of the vegetables in the casserole and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and a few grindings of black pepper and cover the casserole tightly. Braise in the center of the oven for 1 1/ 4 hours, turning the veal over after 45 minutes.

When the veal is tender, transfer it to a heated platter, cut away the strings and carve the meat into 1/ 4 inch-thick slices. Arrange them, slightly overlapping, down the center of a large platter and cover the platter loosely with foil to keep the meat warm while you make the sauce.

Quickly strain the entire contents of the casserole through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing down hard on the vegetables with the back of a large spoon before discarding them. Skim off any surface fat and return the braised juices to the casserole. Stir in the dissolved potato starch. Then bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly until it is lightly thickened and smooth. Reduce the heat to low and gently stir in the caviar and lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Pour in the sauce over the veal and serve at once, or if you prefer, serve the sauce separately.