Veal Fillet With Macadamia Nuts, Orange & Brandy

Nuts, fruit, liquor & meat are the ingredients that I like putting together.  If you have a propensity for eating food with contrasting flavors, then we will both agree that this plate is one of the examples of fruit & meat combination that is scrumptious.   It goes without saying that this dish will have future reappearances in my kitchen.   Everyone loved it.

This idea sprouted after the chicken & mandarin dish I recently did.   If mandarin goes well with chicken then its cousin can surely harmonize with meat too. 

Veal Fillet With Macadamia Nuts, Orange & Brandy

Ingredients:
4 Servings

• 400 grams veal fillet
• 1/8 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
• thyme
• 1 orange, wedged
• 1 teaspoon honey
• extra virgin olive oil
• 30 grams pancetta affumicata (smoked pancetta), diced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Crush the thyme & macadamia nuts in a mortar & pestle.  Mix about a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to make it creamy.  Set aside.
2. Sautè the veal in a saucepan with just enough olive oil to avoid sticking to the pan.  Brown both sides on medium flame.  Set aside.  
3. In the same pan used for sautèeing the veal, add some more oil.  Sautè the shallot and diced pancetta. 
4. When they turn golden brown,  add the orange wedges.  Press them down a bit to make the juice come out.   
5. Add the honey & the macadamia - thyme mixture.   Amalgamate for about 5 minutes.  Put back the veal.
6. Add a dash of brandy on high flame.  Put it back down to medium when the alcohol evaporates.   Cook for another 10 minutes.