Fillet of Veal au Bechamel is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of a cooked fillet of veal that's hollowed out in the middle, filled with forcemeat and bechamel sauce and baked until heated through. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fillet of Veal au Bechamel.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
FILLET OF VEAL AU BECHAMEL (Cold Meat Cookery).
883. INGREDIENTS.—A small fillet of veal, 1 pint of Béchamel sauce No. 367, a few bread crumbs, clarified butter.
Mode.—A fillet of veal that has been roasted the preceding day will answer very well for this dish. Cut the middle out rather deep, leaving a good margin round, from which to cut nice slices, and if there should be any cracks in the veal, fill them up with forcemeat. Mince finely the meat that was taken out, mixing with it a little of the forcemeat to flavour, and stir to it sufficient Béchamel to make it of a proper consistency. Warm the veal in the oven for about an hour, taking care to baste it well, that it may not be dry; put the mince in the place where the meat was taken out, sprinkle a few bread crumbs over it, and drop a little clarified butter on the bread crumbs; put it into the oven for 1/4 hour to brown, and pour Béchamel round the sides of the dish.
Take the veal and trim it neatly then cut as much out of the middle as you can, leaving a decent margin all the way around. If you do happen to pierce the veal, or it cracks, then patch it up with a little of the forcemeat.
Mince the veal that was removed and trimmed off the fillet then blend with the remaining forcemeat and add enough Béchamel sauce to bind.
Place the veal in a roasting tin and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through, basting frequently with melted butter.
Remove from the oven at this point and fill the void with the veal and Béchamel blend. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top, drizzle over the clarified butter then return to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown and the stuffing is cooked.
Transfer the veal to a serving dish, pour around it some Béchamel sauce and serve.
