Cubes of Veal with Spicebread Sauce

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 40 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 55 mins

2 thick slices - pain d'épices (spice bread)

2 small - onions

2 tablespoons - olive oil

2 tablespoons - butter

2 - oranges

small bunch - parsley

3½ fl oz - dry white wine

½ pint - veal stock

1 oz - sugar

1 tablespoon - 4 spice powder

- salt and pepper

1 teaspoon - ginger (fresh or powder)

1½ lb - loin eye or tenderloin of veal (hind saddle)

2 oz - butter

It's easier if you make the sauce first because the meat takes only 15 minutes to cook. First, remove the crusts from the Pain d'Épice (Spice Bread) then drop it into a blender and reduce to a powder. Peel and chop the onions then soften them gently in a frying pan, using one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the oranges and chop the parsley.
When the onions are softened, add the white wine and the veal stock (all except a couple of tablespoons) and the juice from the orange. Stir in the 4 spices powder and the chopped parsley. Turn up the heat and allow the sauce to reduce to about ¾ of its original volume. Pass this through a fine sieve to remove the solids, then add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the sugar, the powdered spice bread and the ginger and remove the sauce from the heat. We'll come back to the sauce at the end, but meanwhile, let's deal with the veal...
Cut the meat into large cubes, about 1½" (4cm) across. Place these in a frying pan with the other tablespoon of olive oil and butter and 'brown' them on each side over a high heat (veal actually turns dark pink rather than brown). Place the veal in an ovenproof dish and cover with greaseproof paper (or wax paper). Cook in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC) for 15 minutes. At mid-point, baste the meat with its own juices (or, if none, use the veal stock that we reserved). Salt and pepper to taste.
Now the meat's ready, just finish the sauce by reheating it and adding the 2oz (55g) of butter. Whisk with a hand whisk to made it a little frothy. Pour a good helping of the sauce over the veal, serve immediately and wait for the sighs of delight from your guests!
This is one of those unusual recipes that go well with a sweet drink like a Mango Smoothie. Try it - it's fun!