Escalopes au Champagne
The following recipe was originally printed in the Stanley Demos Cookbook, first published in 1961, and was prepared with veal scallopini. As often happened at the time, sherry stood in for champagne, and the sauce was thickened three ways – with flour, heavy cream and egg yolks – for an especially rich dish. We prepared the dish with boneless pork chops; for a fully faithful version, we recommend Berry rose veal, available online from Our Homeplace Meat.
Two local boneless pork chops, sliced in half horizontally & pounded to ⅛ - ¼” thick *
¼ lb butter (1 stick)
7-10 oz local mushrooms, torn to bite size pieces
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 oz sherry
2 egg yolks
¼ cup cream
First, cook 1 cup dry rice according to directions in chicken broth with salt and white pepper until tender and fluffy.
Mr. Demos’s instructions, verbatim:
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms. Brown and remove. Add the veal slices and cook on both sides until golden. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, add the onions and cook until they are transparent. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and blend into a smooth sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly add to it then 2 egg yolks beaten with cream.
Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the seasonings, the sherry and the mushrooms.
Plating:
Fill and pack individual well-buttered molds with rice. Turn each upside down near the center of a serving plate. Place pork on the side of the rice and scoop some of the sauce over it. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or tarragon!
Notes
* to help with cutting the pork in half horizontally — if thawed, pop in the freezer for 30-45 mins. If frozen, let thaw in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Then slice when partially frozen
Originally made with veal, sliced ⅛” thin, this dish is versatile enough to be made with thin sliced pork or even chicken! And Mr. Demos recommended a dry Semillon to enjoy with this meal, or an imported Graves!
Gastronomically speaking, the preparation and serving of fine foods, is mostly a creative art. It takes desire, confidence and imagination to create dishes and various food combinations that will not only appeal to your family, but also to your friends and guests. Variety is a music in cooking. If you love to experiment with foods,you will create dishes you can be proud of. Here is a wonderful veal recipe that is simple to make and a pleasure to serve. Stanley Demos
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Remembering Stanley Demos
Ouita's first trip to the Coach House restaurant was on Prom Night. She was wearing a peach-colored formal and felt all grown-up in the Coach House's stunning dining room. "Perhaps that was the moment I fell in love with restaurants." Read how Mr. Demos and his family had a profound effect on Ouita's own culinary calling.
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