Monday, September 14, 2015

This weeks insourcing #17...why I make my own Veal Parmy....

 
This week, someone asked me why I bother making my own Veal Parmagiana, when we could just go to the local club and get one each for $7.95 or buy a frozen or ready made one to go straight in the pan from the supermarket or butcher. The whole point of their question was that it was all too hard to make it yourself, if you can go somewhere and buy it already done.
 
I said that making my own Parmy (as its fondly called here), as well as DIYing a heap of other stuff around Chez Mimi, means that I can shop in a street market on the Cote d`Azur in France, eating rosy radishes straight from a market garden...
 
 
...and that I could wander the gardens of a centuries old Villa in Tuscany, tasting their olive oil and home made biscotti with honeyed sweet dessert wine....
 
 
....and finally get to see Positano with my very own eyes...
 
 
...and the incredible masterpiece that it Gaudis' Church of the Sacred Family in Barcelona, which simply cannot be appreciated from photographs alone....
 
 
....and the ruins at Pompeii, which Mum and I used to discuss at length when I was just a child, and which I never dreamed I'd see....
 
 
...tasting raspberries still warm from the sun...
 
 
...wandering the cobblestone streets of Mykonos...
 
 
...and the Mosques of Istanbul...
 
 
...the magnificent ruins at Ephesus in Turkey where Christianity was born (or so it's said)...
 
 
...and not forgetting the visit to the British National Gallery in London on the way to all those other sights, scents and sounds...
 
 
....it means that my 15 year old daughter will NEVER feel the need for a Parmy at the Pub...she knows there are far better things in life that are worth saving for....
 
...that's why I make my own Parmy.
 
You can too....and in time...you will reap the rewards.
 
Mimi's Own Veal Parmagiana
 
For 4-6 serves
 
500 gms Veal steak (chicken fillets work well too)
2/3 cup plain (all purpose) flour on a flat plate
2/3-1 1/2 cups almond meal (or breadcrumbs) on a second flat plate
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
1 tin peeled tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 beef stock cube
2 eggs, beaten in a bowl
Salt and pepper
Oil for pan frying
 
Cut the veal steaks in half and pound with a mallet until paper thin.
 
Put the tinned tomatoes in a small saucepan, mash them well, and add the thyme, stock cube, garlic and a little salt and pepper. Bring this to the boil, reduce the heat to very low, and allow the liquid to evaporate, so that you have a thick slushy paste. Check on it frequently, stirring often. This should take about half an hour.
 
Mix the grated parmesan into the almond meal or breadcrumbs on the plate. This is what you'll use to crumb your steaks.
 
While the tomato reduction is simmering, dip each flattened veal steak in flour, then into the beaten egg, then into the almond meal/parmesan mixture. Press the mixture firmly onto each steak, and set them aside on another plate once done. Repeat until all steaks are 'crumbed'. Put them into the fridge to set the crumb coating for about 10-15 minutes.
 
Heat about three tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large frypan. When sizzling hot, drop in two to three of the crumbed veal steaks. Pan fry until light golden brown. These are very thin remember, so will cook quickly, but you really want that crumb coating nice and firm and golden once cooked. You may need to add a little more oil for each batch you cook.
 
Drain the cooked steaks well, on some absorbent kitchen paper.
 
Set each batch of cooked steaks aside on a baking tray, and top with a spoonful of the tomato puree paste, spreading it over the surface of your steak. Top this with a generous sprinkle of grated tasty cheese.
 
Once all of your steaks are cooked and topped with yummy sauce and cheese, put them under a grill (broiler) heated to high, and leave them there till that cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
 
Now they're ready to serve, with a crisp salad, and a chewy Ciabatta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in little dishes, on the side. Tear off some Ciabatta, dip in the olive oil, then into the balsamic, eat....heaven.
 
Who needs Pub Parmy, when Mimi's Parmy can take you to Italy ;-)
 
...Mimi...
 
 

25 comments:

  1. Beautifully said! This is one of the many reasons we also try to save money in other areas so we can do or buy other things that are important to us.

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    1. So true Debbie! No matter what anyone says, you can't 'have it all'. Even the wealthiest people in the world, have had to make sacrifices to get to where they are. Love, Mimi xxx

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  2. I state your saving secrets like this, dear Mimi:

    START AT THE FINISH.

    Mmm. Homemade parmy. Yeah!!! Looks marvelous! I can almost taste it just by looking at it!

    *hugs*
    Kelley~
    Letters Unfolded

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    1. Kelley, I love the simplicity of that. Yes. Start at the finish. Perfect...Love, Mimi xxx

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  3. How true Mimi.

    Years ago chicken parmagiana was the cheapest meal in a pub - now it is bordering on the most expensive - my husband usually has one when he is away for work and he now comes home complaining that they are costing close to $30- which is way more than the $10- and a beer that we saw last year when we were in Melbourne.

    Lynette
    XXXX

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    1. Isn't it funny Lynette? Lamb shanks used to be given away with the lamb leg roast and now they're expensive too! Wow. $30 for a Parmy?? Crazy! Mimi xxx

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    2. Mum always used the shank to make soup with - if I am buying a leg of lamb I look for a whole leg (they cut chops off them) and make sure that the shank is also attached - the shank has always been my favourite part.

      I will wait and see what my husband has to say about the food while he is away this week - even breakfast at motels has become expensive.

      Lynette
      XXX

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  4. Hi Mimi,
    Wow I love these travel photos.
    Thanks for sharing your Veal Parm recipe at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
    Have a nice week.
    Julie

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    1. Thanks Julie....yes it made me all dreamy just posting those photos...sigh....Mimi xxx

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  5. Dear Mimi I know we had a funny discussion on why do anything you can pay someone else to do once! Well, yes we can pay someone else to do things but then we have to work to pay the person to do the things. I would rather just do the things.
    Apart from that Im not keen on eating in pubs. At least around here they are not cheap anyway and if you are going to have an expensive meal Id rather somewhere really lovely. But we have other priorities too. Growing my emergency fund is one of them.Your recipe looks delicious, I will be trying it soon! With love, Annabel.xxx

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    1. Yes I recall that conversation...something about just how many things around the home one would pay someone else to do...including boudoir things....lol! I have to agree that eating in pubs and clubs doesn't do much for me either. Honestly, like you say, if you're going to 'eat out', save up and go to a really lovely restaurant, where they actually cook things that you can't. That's my theory. I love that you prioritise growing your Emergency Fund. That IS important! Love, Mimi xxx

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  6. Mimi, thanks for the recipe. I don't think I have ever actually eaten Veal Parmagiana. It does sound delicious and not too difficult to cook. I am not a terribly adventurous cook.

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    1. Its pretty tasty and so easy Nanna Chel :) Mimi xxx

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  7. Wow...these photos though! So neat!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

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  8. You are wonderful!!! I so enjoyed reading this Mimi!!! You are my kind of gal :)

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    1. Thankyou JES. I'm pleased to have made you smile! Mimi xxx

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  9. Your Parmy recipe will definitely be tried here. I do love your reason for making your own and given the choice i would make my own too over going out to eat. The taste is far superior :)
    Have a great week Mimi x

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    1. Debbie, I do hope you had an opportunity to try it. It's pretty good! Mimi xxx

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  10. Added to my must make list! Thanks Mimi for sharing.

    Hugs,
    Linda

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    1. Hope it becomes a favorite there too Linda! Mimi xxx

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  11. Oh sweet friend, what a beautiful place to see with your very own eyes! The church is truly magnificent!

    It is sooooo good to stop in for a visit - I have missed you and your lovely posts. Thanks for joining Roses of Inspiration, my friend. Have a wonderful week. Love and hugs to you!

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    1. Stephanie, the church is one of the most incredible pieces of architecture I have ever seen. Mimi xxx

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  12. Mimi, such a tray of blissful treasures you are sharing this week. The history and beauty of your post is wonderful. I hope that you will return soon.

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    1. Tom, I knew you and your followers would enjoy these treasures. Thankyou. Mimi

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I love hearing from you! I always respond to comments, so don't be shy! Mimi xxx