Veal Medallions with Mushroom Sauce, Spinach Cream, and Vegetable Puree

The winning dish of the challenge, where competitors had to reinterpret and modernize the dish, veal in the Slovenian style, with which Karim Merdjadi completed his studies at the prestigious French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in 1991.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 45 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 2

Ingredients

Caramelized carrot

  • 1 piece Carrot, fresh

  • 100 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 twig Thyme, fresh

  • 1 spoon Sugar, white

  • 1 pinch Salt, table

Egg

  • 2 piece Egg, fresh

  • pieces Oil, olive

  • 1 pinch Salt, table

Medallions

  • pieces Meat, veal, back

  • pieces Salt, table

  • pieces Oil, olive

  • 1 twig Rosemary, fresh

Puree

  • 1 piece Green, tuber

  • pieces Parsley, fresh

  • 100 g Butter, unsalted

  • 2 dl Sweet cream

  • pieces Salt, table

Sauce

  • 3 pieces Shallot

  • 2 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 5 pieces Mushrooms, mushrooms, fresh

  • 1.5 dl Alcohol, Wine, White

  • 2 dl Soup base, beef, cube

  • pieces Thyme, raw

Small potatoes

  • 1 piece Potatoes, white

  • 1 spoon Oil, olive

  • pieces Salt, table

Trakovi

  • pieces Dough, puff

  • pieces Butter, unsalted

  • pieces Salt, table

spinach cream

  • 500 g Spinach, raw

  • 3 dl Sweet cream

  • pieces Juice, lime

  • pieces Salt, table

Steps

  1. Medallions: Season the veal medallions with salt and pepper. Pour a little olive oil into a pan. Add a sprig of parsley and wait until it releases its aroma. Sear the seasoned meat on both sides in the heated oil. Once the medallions are nicely browned, remove them from the pan and keep them warm.

  2. Sauce: Finely chop the shallot and sauté it in the same pan used for the meat until translucent. Add minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Sauté for another 2 minutes, then deglaze with white wine. Once the alcohol evaporates, add veal stock and a little water. Simmer until the ingredients are well combined and softened. Add chopped thyme towards the end of cooking.

  3. About 2 minutes before serving, add the seared medallions to the sauce. Simmer on low heat for 1 more minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Ensure the meat remains juicy and pink in the center.

  4. Puree: Bring water to a boil in a pot, peel the green vegetables, and cut them into small cubes. Once the water boils, salt it and add the green vegetables, celery, and parsley. Cook until the vegetable pieces are tender (10 to 15 minutes). In another pot, slowly heat butter and cream on low heat. Drain the cooked vegetables and blend them until smooth using an immersion blender. Gradually add the hot cream and butter mixture to achieve the desired texture. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Transfer the prepared puree to a piping bag.

  5. Spinach Cream: Blanch young spinach in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain well and quickly cool in ice water to retain its vibrant green color. Heat sweet cream in a pot. Squeeze the cooled spinach well and add it to the pot with the cream. Blend the spinach until smooth using an immersion blender and season with lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Strain to achieve a smooth texture.

  6. Caramelized Carrot: Peel the carrot and slice it into 3 mm thick rounds. Melt butter in a pan and add a little thyme for flavor. Add the sliced carrots, a tablespoon of sugar, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and caramelized. Lightly salt the carrots.

  7. Potato: Peel the potatoes, wash them, and slice them into 2 mm thick slices. Season with salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil, arrange on a baking sheet, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C until golden brown.

  8. Dough Strips: Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into narrow strips. Arrange the strips on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown.

  9. Egg: Lightly grease a small pan with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, pour in the egg white. In the last 20 seconds of cooking, add the yolk to the center and lightly salt it. Shape the cooked egg with a round mold if desired and place it on one of the seared medallions when serving.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 139.08 kcal
  • Fat: 9.86 g
    • Saturated Fat: 5.49 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.49 g
    • Sugars: 0.87 g
  • Protein: 5.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.87 g