Veal Chops w/ Basil-Parmesan Crust

Ingredients

Directions

Make the sauce: Preheat oven to 350°. On a sheet of foil drizzle the garlic with the oil, wrap the garlic in the foil, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until soft to the touch. Peel the garlic, in a bowl with the back of a fork crush it to a puree, adding 1 teaspoon water if necessary. Set garlic aside.

Chop half the pine nuts coarsely. Reserve the chopped nuts and the whole nuts separately. In a dry 3-quart saucepan, heat the shallot over moderately high heat until the shallot sizzles, add the wine and the chopped pine nuts and boil the liquid until it barely covers the pine nuts. Add the cream and simmer the sauce, whisking, until it is thickened. Strain the sauce into a small saucepan, pressing hard on the solids, stir in the garlic puree and salt and pepper to taste. Keep the sauce warm.

Make the crust: In a food processor blend together the butter, the ground veal, the egg yolks, the basil, the Parmesan, the mustard, the salt, and the pepper, pulsing the motor, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the crust mixture to a bowl and chill it, covered.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large heavy skillet heat the 1/2 cup oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and brown the chops, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chops with tongs to a broiler pan and coat 1 side of each chop with about 1/3 cup of the crust mixture, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on the crust mixture and roast the chops in the middle of the oven for 12 - 15 minutes for medium-rare meat.

If desired, brown the chops under a preheated broiler for 1 - 2 minutes or until the crust is golden. Transfer the chops to plates, stir the reserved whole pine nuts into the sauce and spoon the sauce around the chops.

Serves 6.