Veal fricandó with mushrooms and almond picada

Peel the onion and tomatoes. Clean the oyster mushrooms and trim earthy ends. Dice the onion, chop the tomato and tear the oyster mushrooms into similar-sized pieces. Check that the cutlets are thin, about 5 mm. Gently flatten between sheets of baking paper if needed. Season the veal with all the salt and pepper. Dust with the flour, shaking off the excess, then discard any remaining flour that touched raw meat. Heat all the oil in a wide casserole and brown the slices for about 2 min per side in batches without crowding. Transfer to a plate.

In the same casserole cook the onion over medium heat for about 8 min, stirring in the remaining juices and oil. Add the tomato and cook for about 5 min to make a concentrated base. Move the pan away from any flame before adding brandy and white wine, then return to the heat and gently boil for about 3 min without flambéing. Return the meat and plate juices. Cover and gently simmer for about 15 min until the slices become tender. Continue gently if necessary. Add the oyster mushrooms and cook for about 5 min until soft and hot through.

While the meat simmers, peel the garlic. Wash and dry the parsley. Chop the garlic and almonds and pound in a mortar to a coarse paste. Chop the parsley. Loosen the picada with a little sauce taken from the casserole, then return it all to the pan. Stir and simmer for another 1 min to distribute the thickener. Add all the parsley and serve the veal with the mushrooms and all the sauce.