VEAL PRINCE ORLOFF

Steps:

• Braise veal:
• Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325°F.
• Pat veal dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in 5- to 6-quart pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown veal on all sides, turning with tongs, about 10 minutes. Transfer veal to a plate and discard fat from pot.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in pot and cook onion, celery, and carrot over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Wrap parsley, fresh thyme (if using), and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni, then add to vegetables along with wine and dried thyme (if using). Put veal on top and bring to a simmer.
• Cover pot with lid, then transfer to lower third of oven and braise veal until thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat registers 145°F, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer veal to a cutting board and let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise to 155°F). Pour cooking juices from pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure, pressing on and discarding solids. Skim off fat and reserve juices, adding any juices that have accumulated on plate from veal, for Mornay sauce.
• Make soubise while veal braises:
• Parcook rice in a large saucepan of boiling salted water 5 minutes, then drain in a sieve and rinse.
• Heat butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then stir in onions and salt. Cover tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil and cook onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and broth and bring to a simmer.
• Cover skillet tightly, then transfer to upper third of oven and bake until rice and onions are very soft, about 1 hour. (Leave oven on.)
• Transfer soubise to a food processor and pulse until coarsely puréed. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Make duxelles while veal and soubise cook:
• Put a handful of mushrooms in a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then gather towel around mushrooms and wring them over sink to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Wring out remaining mushrooms, a handful at a time, in same manner.
• Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms and truffles (if using), stirring, until lightly browned and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cream, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until cream is absorbed by mushrooms, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
• Make Mornay sauce while veal stands:
• Add enough milk to reserved veal juices to total 3 cups. Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Add milk mixture in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add Gruyère, whisking until melted, then whisk in salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Assemble veal Orloff:
• Move top rack to middle of oven and increase temperature to 375°F.
• Stir 1/4 cup soubise into duxelles, then transfer remaining soubise to a sealable plastic bag. Transfer duxelles mixture to other sealable plastic bag, then seal each bag, squeezing out excess air. Snip off 3/4 inch from a bottom corner of each bag.
• Remove string from veal, then trim off fat layer and ends of veal and discard. Cut roast crosswise into 16 slices (1/4 inch thick), keeping slices together. Transfer 1 slice of veal to end of ovenproof platter, then pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons soubise onto half of slice, starting at bottom of slice and working toward top. Pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons duxelles on other half of slice in same manner. Overlap with another slice of veal, leaving about 1/2 inch of stuffing exposed. Repeat with remaining veal slices and remaining soubise and duxelles, keeping slices aligned.
• If necessary, heat Mornay sauce over low heat, stirring, until loose enough to spoon, then spoon 1/2 to 3/4 cup over top and sides of veal, covering slices and stuffings thinly but completely.
• Bake veal Orloff, uncovered, until heated through and Mornay sauce glazes veal, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Heat remaining Mornay sauce over moderate heat, stirring occasionally (thin with a little milk, if necessary), until hot and transfer to a gravy boat to serve on the side.