Veal Chops Normandy Style with Apples and Cream delicate and flavorful

Name: Veal Chops Normandy Style with Apples and Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 thick veal chops, about 7 oz each, salted and peppered 30 minutes before cooking; 0.8 cup (200 ml) heavy cream (30% fat); 0.4 cup (100 ml) veal stock (prepared); 8.75 oz (250 g) button mushrooms (optional but really delicious); 2 shallots, finely minced; 1.7 fl oz (50 ml) Calvados (not essential but the dish is better with it); a few sprigs of chives; a knob of butter; a dash of oil (to prevent the butter from burning); Garnish:; 6 apples (Calville or Belle de Maurin for example), peeled, cored, and cut into wedges; butter, salt, and freshly ground pepper

A recipe by Michelin-starred Chef Patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (18 reviews) · 🍳 6 made it

Prep 15 min

Cook 35 min

Total 50 min

Servings 6 serv.

Halfway between a veal sauté and a Norman gratin, this recipe is done in 20 minutes flat. Calvados, 30% cream, pan-fried apples: three ingredients that carry the whole dish.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

6 thick veal chops, about 7 oz each, salted and peppered 30 minutes before cooking
0.8 cup (200 ml) heavy cream (30% fat)
0.4 cup (100 ml) veal stock (prepared)
8.75 oz (250 g) button mushrooms (optional but really delicious)
2 shallots, finely minced
1.7 fl oz (50 ml) Calvados (not essential but the dish is better with it)
a few sprigs of chives
a knob of butter
a dash of oil (to prevent the butter from burning)

Garnish:

6 apples (Calville or Belle de Maurin for example), peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
butter, salt, and freshly ground pepper

Step-by-step recipe

1 In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, melt the butter with the oil. When the butter starts to turn golden brown (just before it becomes hazelnut-colored), add your veal chops and cook them for 5 minutes on each side, then remove them to a plate. Make sure the butter doesn't burn.

2 In the same pan over medium heat, cook the minced shallots for 2 minutes until softened, then add the Calvados, and 1 minute later add the cream, veal stock, and finally the mushrooms. If they're too large, cut them into quarters lengthwise.

3 Let everything simmer for 3 minutes, then return the veal chops to the pan with any juices that have collected. Cover them well with sauce and cook gently for 8 minutes at just a bare simmer.

4 While this is cooking, in a non-stick skillet, melt some butter with a little oil. Once it takes on some color, add the apple wedges and sauté them for 10 minutes. You can even flambé them at the end with a splash of Calvados if you like. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

5 Serve on a beautiful plate: the veal chop in the center, generously coated with the creamy sauce, and arrange a few slices of sautéed apple on each side with a little chopped chives on top. It's pure bliss. Serve these Normandy-style veal chops with a nice cold glass of farmhouse cider and you'll feel like you're right in Cambremer.

A chef's advice

The classic mistake here is letting the sauce boil instead of barely simmering. At a full boil, the 30% cream splits and the sauce turns greasy and thin. Keep it at a very gentle simmer, exactly 8 minutes, lid on. The juice that runs off the chops after the first sear is precious: pour it straight into the sauce, it carries all the flavour.