Recipe: Veal Hearts

Name: Veal Hearts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 thin slices of bacon (fresh or smoked); For the stuffing:; 1 large onion; 5.25 oz (150 g) of sausage meat half pork half veal not too fatty; 7 oz (200 g) of sandwich bread soaked in milk and wrung out by hand; chopped flat parsley; 2 cloves of garlic with germ removed, crushed and chopped; a few leaves of tarragon chopped or dried; 1 farm egg; 1 knob of butter; 1 pinch of nutmeg; salt and ground pepper; For cooking:; 1.25 cups (30 cl) of broth or equivalent + 1.25 cups (30 cl) of water; 1 glass of dry white wine (0.4 cup (10 cl)); For garnish:; 21 oz (600 g) of peeled sand carrots sliced approximately 1cm thick; 1.75 oz (50 g) of dried golden raisins

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (6 reviews) · 🍳 6 made it

Recipe Veal Hearts - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: ivan couet aftouch-cuisine

Prep 30 min

Cook 90 min

Total 2h

Servings 6 serv.

The recipe for stuffed veal hearts as in St Adèle comes from our special Canada menu

Veal heart is an offal rich in collagen that needs 1 hour 15 minutes of braising to become tender. The homemade stuffing is key: bread soaked in milk, half pork half veal sausage meat, caramelized onion. Prepare the day before so flavors develop. Sand carrots and golden raisins cooked in the same broth are the classic sides.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

6 thin slices of bacon (fresh or smoked)

For the stuffing:

1 large onion
5.25 oz (150 g) of sausage meat half pork half veal not too fatty
7 oz (200 g) of sandwich bread soaked in milk and wrung out by hand

chopped flat parsley

2 cloves of garlic with germ removed, crushed and chopped
a few leaves of tarragon chopped or dried
1 farm egg
1 knob of butter
1 pinch of nutmeg
salt and ground pepper

For cooking:

1.25 cups (30 cl) of broth or equivalent + 1.25 cups (30 cl) of water
1 glass of dry white wine (0.4 cup (10 cl))

For garnish:

21 oz (600 g) of peeled sand carrots sliced approximately 1cm thick
1.75 oz (50 g) of dried golden raisins

Step-by-step directions

1 If you can make the stuffing the evening before, that will be better, because it will be able to gain maximum flavor.

2 Finely slice your onion and brown it in butter to get a nice color, season and let cool.

3 In a large salad bowl, put the sausage meat, the soaked and well wrung out bread, the parsley, garlic, tarragon, egg, onions then salt, ground pepper and pinch of nutmeg.

4 Mix with your clean hand all the elements so that your stuffing is uniform then cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.

5 Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C) (th6).

6 Open your hearts in half without going all the way to the end (butterfly style), carefully remove the blood clot that is in the center, wash them well and thoroughly with cold water then dry them.

7 Stuff the hearts with your mixture, close them again then surround them with 3 strips of pork belly and tie them up so they stay well closed.

8 In a large oven-safe casserole, put butter and a little oil then brown the hearts on all sides.

9 Add the white wine, broth and water and bring to a boil, season and finally add the sliced carrots and raisins.

10 Place your casserole in the middle of the oven co

A chef's advice

Veal hearts with stuffing are a Sunday dish, the one you pull out when you have time and want to impress. Historically, it's classic home cooking, very present on Québécois menus too. The recipe requires method but nothing complicated: stuff, tie, color in a cocotte, then into the oven. It's mainly an autumn and winter dish, when dry white wines with structure hold up against the richness of the sauce. For wines, a Sancerre, a Chablis, or a good Côtes du Jura blanc cuts through the fat without failing. Avoid light reds, they don't work with the gelatin from the broth and the stuffing. For sides, sliced carrots cooked in the same broth is already everything you need. A few golden raisins add a sweet-salty note that lifts without overwhelming. If you prepare the day before, it's even better: the cooled hearts slice cleanly, the sauce has had time to set, and tomorrow you just reheat for 30 minutes in the oven.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace the sausage meat with ground veal alone?

Yes, but use veal that's not too lean (20% fat minimum). Pork provides binding and flavor. If you use veal only, increase the fat slightly or add 50 g cold diced butter to the stuffing to prevent it from drying out.

How to store stuffed hearts and reheat them later?

Covered and chilled, they keep 3 days. To reheat, place cold slices on an oven dish, pour the garnish and broth over, then 30 minutes at 160°C well covered. Don't exceed or the meat dries. Can freeze up to 2 months max if frozen whole and well wrapped.

How to open the heart like a book without tearing it?

Lay it flat, use a long sharp knife. Go slowly, parallel to the work surface, leaving about 1 cm of uncut flesh on one side so it stays attached. Easier if the heart is still slightly cold. Remove the central blood clot thoroughly under cold water before stuffing.