Veal Oscar
This lush dish is the perfect romantic supper. Veal cutlets are topped with fresh asparagus, lobster medallions, and Bearnaise sauce. A classic dish, this Veal Oscar combines three elegant ingredients; it is only appropriate that a shaved truffle slice garnishes the top.
Ingredients
- Garnish
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Green Papayas - 2, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper and lime juice to taste
- Yuca - 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
- Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup
- Sauce Bearnaise
- White Wine - 3 tablespoons
- White Wine Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, small, minced
- Dried tarragon - 1 tablespoon
- Cracked black peppercorns - 1/2 teaspoon
- Egg Yolks - 3
- Water - 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted Butter - 3/4 cup
- Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Asparagus, veal and lobster
- Asparagus - 1/2 pound
- Butter - 3 tablespoons, divided
- Veal Cutlets - two, 6-ounce boneless
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 tablespoons
- Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup - veal demi-glace
- Lobster Tails - 1 small, cooked, cooled, and sliced into medallions
- Black Truffle - 1/2, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
To make the garnish: In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and saute the
papaya 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water; simmer uncovered until soft, about 1 minute. Season with salt, pepper, and lime, and set
aside.
In a small heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Add several yuca slices at a time and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
To make the sauce bearnaise: Clarify the butter: melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it separates, and pour the oil portion into a cup; discard the solids at the bottom. In another small pan, combine the wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates. In a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, water, and salt. Place over low heat and continue whisking constantly until the mixture is creamy and thick enough for the whisk to leave marks in the sauce. The mixture should not be allowed to become too hot; remove the pan from the heat periodically to control the temperature. When the mixture is thick enough, remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. Whisk in the butter, drop by drop, until the sauce has absorbed about 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter. Then begin pouring in the remaining butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly to incorporate it. Whisk in the lemon juice and the herb reduction. Adjust the flavor with salt to taste. The sauce is best served immediately; it must be kept warm and whisked frequently, or may be stored in a thermos until ready for serving.
To make the asparagus, veal and lobster: Cut the top three inches (tips) off asparagus spears; reserve remaining stalks for future use. Bring a small amount of water to a boil and drop the tips in the water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until almost tender. Drain, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, cover the pan, and set aside.
Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and saute the veal for 2 minutes. Do not allow the cutlets to touch each other. Turn and saute on the other side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the cutlets and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the demi-glace, lower the heat, and cook to reduce the sauce by one-fourth. Set aside.
To serve: Place one cutlet on each warm serving plate and top with asparagus tips. Pour the
reduced demi-glace over the asparagus and cutlets. Press warm lobster medallions on top of the
asparagus. Pour Sauce Bearnaise over the medallions, and garnish with truffle slices. Place yuca
chips and green papaya beside the cutlets.
