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Veal Tournedos with Spätzle in a Pea Puree

Veal Tournedos

• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 4 one-inch thick slices of veal tenderloin
• 4 thin slices Gruyère cheese
• 4 tablespoons Crème fraîche
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Crème fraîche

Preheat oven to 350°. Preheat an oven proof Calphalon skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon to skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add olive oil and butter to skillet. When butter stops foaming, add veal slices. Season veal with salt and pepper. After two minutes, flip and season the other side. Top each veal slice with a piece of bacon, a slice of cheese, and a tablespoon of Crème fraîche. Transfer pan to oven and cook for 9 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and plate veal stacks. Place pan on stove over medium high heat. Add white wine to deglaze pan. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add broth. Reduce by half. Add Crème fraîche, stirring vigorously to prevent curdling. Pour over veal pieces.

Spätzle in a Pea Puree

• ½ cup frozen petite peas
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Crème fraîche
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
• 1 cup dried packaged Spätzle cooked per package directions

Place peas in a small sauce pan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Drain through a strainer or colander. Transfer peas to your Cuisinart mini-prep food processor. Add cream, Crème fraîche, tarragon, and basil. Process until you have a smooth puree. taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your satisfaction. Reserve.

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven prepare Spätzle as per package directions. Drain and return to pan. Add pea puree and briefly reheat over a low burner.

What to Drink?

This is really white wine territory. You’ve got what amounts to a white meat (the veal) in a cheese and cream sauce, served with a creamy starch. The menu almost cries out for a California or Australian Chardonnay.

A light red wine, such as a fairly acidic Pinot Noir would also work, slicing through the richness instead of complementing it. 

Having bowed to the traditional wine gods, however, let me admit that I can drink Cabernet Sauvignon with almost anything this side of trout Grenobloise. I poured a 2004 Cabernet from Etude and was very, very happy.