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Zürcher Geschnetzeltes

Zurich-style sliced veal in mushroom cream sauce with rösti

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is the signature dish of Zurich's old guild restaurants and a favourite Sunday meal in homes across German-speaking Switzerland. Thin strips of veal are seared quickly, then the pan is deglazed with white wine and finished with cream and mushrooms into a pale, glossy sauce, and the whole thing is served beside a golden, crisp rösti. The wine adds alcohol (most cooks it off); for an alcohol-free version use the same amount of chicken stock with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. The usual error is cooking the veal in the sauce until it toughens; sear it fast, take it out, and only warm it through at the end. Chef's tip: boil the potatoes for the rösti a day ahead and chill them; cold, firm potatoes grate cleanly and fry up crisp.
Total time
65 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
4
One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

For the rösti

For the veal

Method

0/9 done
  1. Step 1: Peel the chilled 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes and grate them coarsely. Mix in 1 tsp salt.

  2. Step 2: Melt half of ⅔ oz butter in a 24 cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potato, press it lightly into a flat cake and cook for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the base is deep golden and crisp.

    15 min
  3. Step 3: Slide the rösti onto a plate, invert the pan over it and flip it back in. Add the rest of ⅔ oz butter around the edge and cook the second side for 10–12 minutes. Keep warm in a low oven.

    12 min
  4. Step 4: Meanwhile, pat 1 ⅓ lb veal escalope or fillet dry and season with half of ½ tsp salt. Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until very hot.

  5. Step 5: Sear the veal in two batches for 1–2 minutes per batch, tossing, until just browned outside and still slightly pink inside. Tip onto a plate with its juices.

    4 min
  6. Step 6: Lower the heat to medium, add ⅔ oz butter, 2 shallots and 9 oz button mushrooms and cook for 5–6 minutes until the mushrooms are golden and dry.

    6 min
  7. Step 7: Pour in ½ cup dry white wine (or your alcohol-free swap) and bubble for 2 minutes until reduced by half, scraping the pan. Add ¾ cup veal or chicken stock and ¾ cup double cream and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 tsp cornflour and cook for 1 minute more.

    8 min
  8. Step 8: Return the veal and its juices and warm through for 1–2 minutes only; do not let it boil. Season with 1 tsp lemon juice, the rest of ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground white pepper.

    2 min
  9. Step 9: Scatter with ⅓ oz fresh parsley and serve straight away with wedges of rösti. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently until piping hot.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
660 kcal
Protein
39 g
Carbs
35 g
Fat
40 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does zürcher Geschnetzeltes take?
About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).

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