Nantes veal roasted in a sauté pan with confit garden quince

Ingredients

• 10onions
• 5shallots
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 100 gsalted butter
• to tastetruffle trimmings
• to tastetruffle oil
• to tastechicken stock
• 5quinces
• 100 gcider
• 100 g, reducedveal jus
• 20 gsalted butter
• 1 clove, gratedgarlic
• 80 g, choppedtruffle
• ½ bunch, finely choppedchives
• 2, finely choppedshallots
• 1 sprigthyme
• 100 g, cooking liquidquince
• 10 g, finely choppedshallots
• 10 g, dicedquince
• 30 g, choppedtruffle
• ½ bunch, choppedchives
• 15 g, dicedcroutons
• 10 gquince vinegar
• 10 gveal trimmings
• 1 gagar-agar
• 100 gquince vinegar
• 1veal rump
• to tastebutter
• to tastegarlic
• to tastethyme
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make truffled onions

   Finely slice the shallots, onions and garlic cloves. Sweat them in the butter without letting them colour. Add chicken stock, then finish with a drop of truffle oil and the truffle trimmings. Mix with the duxelles and the softened onions, then adjust the seasoning.

2. 2

   Cook the quince

   Cut the quinces into wedges and brown them in butter in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and grated garlic. Deglaze with the cider and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the thyme and veal jus, cover and simmer gently until the quince is cooked but still fairly firm. Remove the quince, adjust the seasoning and scatter over the chopped truffle and finely chopped chives.

3. 3

   Prepare the sauce

   Mix all the sauce ingredients together and bring to the boil. Adjust the seasoning.

4. 4

   Roast the veal

   Cut a loin section from the veal rump. Sear it in clarified butter, then add half a clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme. Brown it on all sides, add the salted butter and baste generously. Leave the loin to rest on a rack. Cut four slices, each 5 mm thick, 5 cm long and 3 cm high, for one person. Finish with a twist of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of Guérande fleur de sel, then plate.

What is Nantes veal with quince?

This dish centres on veal rump, roasted in a pan and served with quince cooked in cider and veal jus. The recipe is attributed to Mathieu Pérou of Le Manoir de la Régate in Nantes, and brings together regional veal and autumn fruit with a distinctly restaurant-style truffle finish.

The different preparations give the plate contrast: browned meat, tender but firm quince, and a rich truffled onion element. The method relies on carefully seasoning each component rather than combining everything into one sauce.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1150 calories, 55g protein, 105g carbs, 58g fat.

The veal supplies most of the protein, while the quince and onions contribute carbohydrates; butter and truffle oil account for much of the fat. The ingredient list includes several large quantities and unspecified amounts, so a precise per-serving macro estimate is not possible. For a balanced plate, serve the veal and quince with a generous portion of green vegetables.

The truffled onion preparation

Slow sweating: cook the sliced onions, shallots and garlic in butter without browning them, as directed. The recipe adds chicken stock and truffle trimmings, then finishes with truffle oil.

Final mix: the instructions also call for mixing in a duxelles, but do not give a separate ingredient list or preparation for it. Season the mixture at the end, as the recipe specifies.

Keeping the quince firm

Brown first: colouring the quince wedges in butter gives them a savoury surface before they simmer. Add the shallots and grated garlic, then deglaze with cider and allow the alcohol to evaporate.

Gentle cooking: cover the pan and simmer the fruit in the thyme and veal jus. Check its texture as it cooks; the stated target is cooked through but still fairly firm.

Roasting and resting the veal

Even browning: sear the veal in clarified butter and turn it to colour every side. Garlic and thyme are added before the salted butter, which is used to baste the meat generously.

Rest before slicing: the instructions specify resting the loin on a rack, then cutting four slices to the stated dimensions. No roasting temperature or cooking time is provided, so use the recipe's browning and resting cues rather than assuming a set oven schedule.

A sauce with quince vinegar

The sauce combines the listed quince, shallot, truffle, chive, crouton, vinegar, veal-trimming and agar-agar ingredients, then is brought to the boil. The recipe does not specify whether the sauce should be blended or strained, so follow its simple instruction to mix and heat the ingredients.

Taste after boiling and adjust the seasoning. The recipe lists quince vinegar twice, in two separate quantities, so keep both amounts in the sauce preparation.

Serving the plate

The method ends by seasoning the sliced veal with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of Guérande fleur de sel before plating. Serve it with the quince and the truffled onion preparation, keeping the components distinct so their textures remain clear.

The recipe gives no additional side dish. A simple green vegetable can make a practical accompaniment without competing with the cider, quince and truffle flavours.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the quince into similar-sized wedges so they cook at a similar pace.
• Keep the onions over gentle heat so they soften without taking on colour.
• Let the cider reduce until its alcohol has evaporated before adding the veal jus.
• Turn the veal regularly to brown all its sides evenly.
• Rest the veal on a rack before slicing, as the method directs.
• Season the veal at the end with pepper and fleur de sel.

Variations

• Adjust the truffle: use less truffle if you prefer the quince and veal flavours to stand out more.
• Change the herbs: replace the thyme with another woody herb if needed.
• Add greens: serve with simply cooked green vegetables for a fresh contrast.
• Use apple cider: choose a dry cider to keep the quince preparation savoury.
• Serve extra jus: offer additional veal jus alongside the sliced meat.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Browning the onions: they should soften without colour; lower the heat if they start to brown.
• Overcooking the quince: simmer only until tender but still fairly firm.
• Skipping the cider reduction: let the alcohol evaporate before adding the veal jus.
• Browning only one side: turn the veal so it colours all over.
• Slicing straight away: rest the loin on a rack before cutting it.
• Guessing the sauce texture: the recipe only says to mix and boil the ingredients, so avoid adding unlisted steps or ingredients.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container and use within 2 days. Store the veal and quince separately if possible, then reheat gently until hot; avoid prolonged heating, which can dry out the veal and soften the quince further.

Frequently asked questions