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Ground-Veal Casserole With Potatoes
(Musaca cu Cartofi)
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| What You Need: |
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6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons soft fresh crumbs, made from homemade-type white bread, pulverized in a blender or finely shredded with a fork
8 medium-sized boiling potatoes (about 2½ pounds)
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 pound lean ground veal
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely cut fresh fennel eaves
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten, plus 2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch bits
1 cup heavy cream
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| How To Cook: |
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1. With a pastry brush, spread 2 tablespoons of the softened butter ovedhe bottom and sides of a 2-quart casserole 3 inches deep. Add the bread crumbs and tip the casserole from side to side to spread them evenly.
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2. Set aside. With a small, sharp knife or swivel-bladed vegetable parer, peel the potatoes, dropping them into cold water as you proceed. Then, cut the potatoes into ¼-inch-thick slices and return them to the water.
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3. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, pat a handful of potatoes completely dry with paper towels and drop them into the skillet.
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4. Turning them frequently with a spatula, fry the potatoes for 4 or 5 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides.
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5. As they brown, transfer the slices to paper towels to drain while you dry andfry the remaining potatoes, adding more butter to the skillet when necessary.
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6. When the potatoes are browned, add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the skillet and drop in the onions. Stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent but not brown.
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7. Add the veal and, mashing it frequently with the back of a spoon to break up any lumps, cook until no trace of pink remains.
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8. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two, then remove from the heat and beat in the wine, parsley, fennel, thyme, salt and pepper.
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9. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes and stir in the egg yolks one at a time, stirring until no trace of yolk is visible. Taste for seasoning.
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10. Preheat the oven to 400. Assemble the musaca cu cartofi in the following fashion: Spread about one third of the potato slices on the bottom of the casserole, overlapping them neatly.
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11. Spread half the meat mixture evenly over the potatoes, add another layer of potato slices, and then add the rest of the meat, spreading it out as before.
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12. Cover with the remaining potato slices and scatter the 2 tablespoons of butter bits on top.
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13. Bake covered in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Then beat the 2 eggs and the cream together with a whisk or a rotary beater and pour evenly over the musaca.
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14. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes longer, or until the top is golden brown. Serve at once, directly from the casserole.
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