ROASTED VEAL BREAST "ALLA FORNARA" Recipe & History

Roasted veal breast “alla Fornara” is a classic Italian recipe rich in taste and history! The origin of this dish is Roman, created at the times of the battles for the Italy’s unification by an Italian patriot. The recipe is easy and tasty: juicy veal breast marinated in salt and herbs, braised in white wine, then roasted in the oven. The veal “alla Fornara” is traditionally served along with potatoes, roasted aside the meat. Here the recipe and the history of this amazing and patriotic delight!

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• 3 Lb (1.35 Kg) veal breast
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 10 sage leaves
• 1 Lb (450 g) yellow potatoes (optional)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 glasses white wine
• 1 cup vegetable broth (optional)
• 3 tsp black peppercorn
• 1 cup Kosher salt
• 2 pinches table salt

A BIT OF HISTORY

The Petto di Vitello alla Fornara (oven roasted veal breast Fornara-style) is a must-to-try recipe of the Roman cuisine. Like most of the classic Italian recipes, there is an interesting story that goes with this too.

It was the 25 October 1867: the Garibaldi’ partisans were fighting against the soldiers of Pope Pio IX in order to unify Italy in under the same state. Garibaldi and his army have been conquered the town of Monterotondo, and they were always closer to strike the final attack to conquer Rome.

On that same day, at Via Lungaretta 97, inside the building of the woolen mill Ajani, a group of forty rebels was organizing a riot to help Garibaldi from inside the city. Among them, there was the wife of the owner of the wooden mill: Giuditta Tavani Arquati.

Giuditta was the daughter of a defender of the Roman Republic of 1849 and inspired by the same republican ideals of her father.

In addition to her other commitments, Giuditta was in charge of cooking the meals for the Republican insurgents. Among traditional recipes like Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, Roman-style oxtail alla Vaccinara, and fried artichokes alla Giudia, she uses to prepare a dish destined to become one of the symbols of the Roman cuisine: the oven roasted veal breast alla Fornara.

The life of the rebels of the wooden mill Ajani ended that day: a patrol of the Pope' army discovered the conspiracy and killed the insurgents, included Giuditta, her unborn child, and another twelve-year-old son.

But, the name of the patriot woman has become a symbol of the battle for the liberation of Rome until the victory and beyond. Her veal breast recipe is still famous in Rome and reminds and celebrate the struggles of the Republican partisans in between bites.

THE ROASTED VEAL BREAST "ALLA FORNARA" RECIPE

HERBS MARINATE

First of all, mince 5 leaves of sage along with the leaves of 1 sprig of rosemary, and the leaves of thyme along with 3 unpeeled cloves of garlic. Now, add the black pepper, and 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Finally, pour the mixture into a bowl and season with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

MARINATE AND TIE THE VEAL BREAST

Place the meat on a cutting board, fat side up. Now, cover the fat with a generous sprinkle of black pepper and the remaining the kosher salt, pressing the salt against the fat with your hand. After that, flip the veal breast and season the lean meat side with the herbs marinade. Finally, Bend the meat and tie with a kitchen string. Let the veal breast marinate covered in the fridge 1 hour before cooking.

SEARING AND BAKING THE MEAT

Preheat the oven to 390° F (200° C)

Now, rub and discard as the salt as you can from fat side of the meat. After that, place an oven-safe pan, best if cast iron, over high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, but not smoky, sear the meat until it is golden brown on all its sides, then baste with the white wine. Let the wine simmer 3 minutes, then add 2 cloves of garlic unpeeled and lightly crushed, 5 sage leaves, 1 sprig of rosemary, and 2 sprigs of thyme.

Bake in the oven about 2 hours moisturizing generously the veal with its sauce every 20-30 minutes. Remember to check the oven temperature every time you open the oven door. If the crust starts to brown excessively, cover the meat with foil leaving space to let the sauce evaporate. If the liquid is going to evaporate totally, add a few tbsp of vegetable broth.

ROASTED POTATOES

In Italy, the roasted veal breast is commonly served along with potatoes roasted in the meat juices. If you desire to prepare the potatoes in this way, just follow this step.

Brush, rinse and cut the potatoes into chunks, then season with 1 tbsp of olive oil, a sprinkle of black pepper and 2 pinches of salt. Pour the potatoes around the meat after 75 minutes of baking, and bake until the end of the time.

SERVE THE VEAL BREAST "ALLA FORNARA"

Once ready, let the roasted veal breast rest 10 minutes, then discard the kitchen string and reduce the meat into slices 1 finger thick. You want the meat cooked, but still juicy. Season the slices with a few tbsp of its sauce and serve on a serving plate along with the roasted potatoes.

If some meat remains, or if you prefer to cook the roast for the next day, place the meat slices in a box submerged in its sauce, then store covered in the fridge up to 2 days. Reheat the veal very slowly in a pan covered with a lid or with a slow cooker: the meat will be extremely tasty and juicy!

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