RECIPE: Make a meal of veal

Veal escalopes with lemon

Serves 2

Preparation time 15 mins

Total time 25 mins

2 Sainsbury’s British veal escalopes
2 tbsp plain flour
1 medium egg, lightly whisked
110g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
55g butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Put the veal escalopes on a board and gently bash them out with the end of a rolling pin. Put the flour on a plate, the egg on another and the breadcrumbs mixed with some freshly ground black pepper on a third.

Dip the escalopes into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb and pepper mixture.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large frying pan. Add the crumbed escalopes and cook for 3-5min each side or until golden.

Add the remaining butter to the pan and heat through on a medium heat. Add the lemon juice and zest, and cook for 1min.

It was my first time eating veal and I was really impressed with the quality. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender and tasty. The fragrant lemon infusion gave the dish a slight kick, which complemented the delicate flavours of the meat.

Because the calves are slaughtered at a younger age, the meat has less time to mature, which makes it very tender and succulent in comparison to beef.

This dish is perfect accompanied by a cool glass of dry white wine and best enjoyed in the garden on a warm summer’s night (making the most of the gorgeous Welsh weather, this is exactly what we did).

This dish is extremely versatile and is quick and easy to prepare. It is also low in saturated fat, so it’s great if you’re looking for a healthier option.

My tipple of choice was a 2011 dry white wine from the Three Choirs vineyard in Gloucestershire. It was very refreshing and light, which complemented the delicate flavours of the meat well.

It contains subtle notes of elderflower, but it was quite surprisingly sweet and crisp at first, later leaving a dry taste on the palette.