Sherry, Baby

My dearest poked around online before coming home & found a fabulous recipe for veal with sherry & an assortment of other things which made a delightful dinner. One of the allegations in our current custody case is that we leave empty liquor bottles lying around, I presume after we party all night. I have to laugh because, as I was going through our liquor collection this afternoon, the bulk of it was purchased for recipes. Not cocktail recipes, but food recipes like tonight's. And we rarely empty the bottles very quickly. Jack Daniels for barbecue, sherry & marsala & vermouth for various high-falutin' recipes, kirsch for fondue, a couple bottles of wine that were gifts & have probably gone to vinegar now, Tanqueray for guests desiring martinis. The last time I was drunk was July 3, 1995 and the time before that was 1991. I just don't find that out-of-control feeling at all appealing. J hasn't drunk liquor since the night of her brother's wake. Ridiculous.

Anyway, I don't know what this recipe is called, but it was fabulous & deserves to be made in many homes. It's nice & light. My Beloved served it with angel hair pasta, salad (Giant Eagle brand, which turned out to be flavorless and dry...I like Earthbound Farms best & won't be buying Giant Eagle again. It's almost as bad as Dole) & Italian bread with olive oil & herbs for dipping. I would add a couple wedges of lemon to squeeze over the top of the meat. If you are funky about veal (as, honestly, I am...I kept accidentally telling J that I loved the pork), I'm sure this would be great with chicken, as well. Or even portabellas.

Sherried Veal

2 lb. boneless veal medallions, pounded to 1/4" thickness (J just used veal scallopini)
1 c. flour + 3 tbsp. flour
Salt & white pepper, to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. sherry + 3 tbsp. sherry (please, for the love of God, use real sherry & eschew the "cooking sherry")
1/2 c. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 c. flour with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat veal in flour, shaking off the excess. Fry until just browned on each side. Do not cook through. Put in 13 x 9 baking dish & sprinkle with cheese. Wipe skillet clean. Melt butter with 1/2 c. sherry on low heat. Add garlic & cook 30 seconds. Mix 3 tbsp. flour with 3 tbsp. sherry & stir until well-blended. Whisk into butter mixture. Whisk constantly on low until thickened. Adjust seasonings. Pour sauce over veal. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

It was my second fantastic meal of the day. For lunch, I toasted an English muffin. Then, I added thinly-sliced Muenster cheese, basil leaves and tomato slices with a sprinkle of salt. Summer heaven!