Veal Marengo

Pat the veal chunks completely dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 tsp salt and ¾ tsp black pepper. Dust lightly in flour and shake off any excess. Dice the onion, slice the garlic, crush the tomatoes by hand, peel the pearl onions, and quarter the mushrooms.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the veal for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply mahogany brown on all faces, then transfer to a plate. Do not move the pieces while they are browning.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and diced onion to the pot with the remaining ¼ tsp salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden at the edges.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste turns a shade darker and smells slightly caramelised.

Pour in the white wine and scrape up every bit of the fond from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the wine is reduced by half.

Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, bouquet garni and orange zest strip. Return the veal and any accumulated juices to the pot. The liquid should come two-thirds up the meat; add a splash of water if needed.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid left slightly ajar and braise on the lowest possible heat until the veal is completely tender and yields easily when pierced with a knife, and a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest piece reads at least 90°C, 75–85 minutes.

While the veal braises, melt 20g butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the pearl onions and sugar and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until glazed and golden all over. Transfer to a bowl.

Raise the skillet heat to high. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and, once smoking, add the mushrooms in a single layer. Cook without stirring for 4–5 minutes until deeply browned, then season with the remaining ¼ tsp black pepper and toss once. Transfer to the bowl with the onions.

If making croutons, cut the sourdough into rough 3cm cubes, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, and toast in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides. Set aside.

Remove the bouquet garni and orange zest from the braise. If the sauce looks thin, remove the veal with a slotted spoon and simmer the sauce uncovered for 8–10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon, then return the veal.

Fold in the glazed pearl onions and browned mushrooms and simmer together for 3 minutes to marry the flavours. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve from the pot, with croutons placed on top or alongside.