Veal ragout with pine nuts in a fine sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g veal escalope, from the topside
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot(s)
• 100 ml Calvados
• 200 ml white wine (Riesling or Pinot Gris), semi-dry
• 400 ml veal stock
• 5 soft apricots
• 1 egg(s)
• 100 g pine nuts
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp sage leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 allspice berries
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp marjoram
• pepper
• nutmeg

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Clean the veal, pat dry, and cut into strips. Halve or quarter the shallot. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and crème fraîche. Cut the soft apricots into small pieces. In a small saucepan, combine 4 tablespoons of butter and the flour to make a roux. Use wine or stock as the liquid. Use enough liquid to create a creamy mixture. In a deep, lidded pan, add the remaining butter. Sprinkle in the pine nuts, add the shallots, and sauté until translucent. Fry the veal strips in the pan until crispy on both sides. Deglaze with the Calvados. When the liquid has completely reduced, add the spices and then the soft apricots. Deglaze with the wine and pour in the remaining stock. Cover and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. Remove the shallots and bring the contents of the pan to a boil. Add the flour mixture and stir well until it bubbles 2-3 times. Remove the pan from the heat. Wait 4-5 minutes, then add the egg mixture and stir. Season to taste. Do not allow the dish to boil again after adding the egg mixture, or the egg will curdle. I like to serve this with wide ribbon pasta or black wild rice, salad, and a baguette for the sauce.