What would you serve with........

[Joanbunting Profile]

I've got friends coming for lunch on Sunday and have the menu more or less settled but I am planning on Veal Marengo for the main course. I would usually serve this with rice but 2 of the guests can't abide rice. Any inspired suggestions folks?

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Potato galette.
Couscous or quinoa( although the similarity to rice might not work)
Or just as it is with steamed baby carrots, baby courgettes, baby turnips, baby onions ( something along those lines)
Or with a vegetable "spaghetti" ( ie., courgettes or something) run through the mandoline?

[Suelle Profile Website]

Tagliatelle or similar flat pasta ribbons.

[jeral Profile]

Potatoes made as fondants, croquettes or barrelled floury potatoes. Maybe soft farmhouse bread or rolls. Some people like (herby?) scones. All assuming there'll be some yummy gravy to be soaked up or mopped up.

[MariaK Profile]

by Suelle » Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:02 pm

Tagliatelle or similar flat pasta ribbons.

Then Joan would be unhappy - can't have that!!!

When in doubt I sometimes check Chef Simon

Veau marengo
https://chefsimon.com/gourmets/chef-sim ... marengo--6
- Servir avec petits légumes glacés et des champignons escalopés et sautés.
Servir avec des pommes de terre cuites vapeur, anglaise ou encore fondantes.

i.e he'd agree with Kara . glazed veg (carrots, baby turnips ...)

[mark111757 Profile]

How about pomme purée???

Or better still vegetable spaghetti with butter, the best you can get , président or échiré?? Or French Isigny Butter, salted with sautéed minced garlic. Not a lot so you don't over power the vegetable spaghetti

When dad was alive he had a garden he grew them and once they started they took off. The fleshy part had a nice crunch. A surprise to be sure

[Joanbunting Profile]

The thing about Marengo is there is lots of sauce to mop up and the mushrooms are already there - loads of them. I can't get quinoa and of course I wouldn't like pasta but I was wondering would potato gnochi work? I can produce a fairly mean one or two.
I thought about pommes puree but perhaps too sloppy - much as I love them.
Thanks for the suggestions so far.

My hope when starting this thread was that it might continue for others with a similar dilemma.

[WWordsworth Profile]

Ciabatta?
Or local equivalent?

[patpoyntz Profile]

I often do Jill Dupleix crash hot potatoes with a ‘saucy meal’, because they are so easy to do, are always popular, they are very tasty, and because they have creases in them, they sort of soak up the sauce.

[WWordsworth Profile]

Maybe lightly toasted for a bit of textural contrast

[jeral Profile]

Joanbunting, I'm not sure if gnocchi would soak up any sauce as it'll already have soaked up the boiling water as much as it's likely to absorb. However, it ought to work to soak up sauce if you strained some and boiled the gnocchi in it, but then it still wouldn't soak up the plate sauce. I assume it's not the plan for guests to mash them up as it'd make it pointless going to the trouble of making them. It's also very filling with the added flour it has. It would be a nice nod to the Italian origin though.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Gnocchi would work, but I think you have to decide whether you want to add a starch or simply complete the dish with some interesting, contrasting veg.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Morning all.
Joan, Tony won't eat rice, quinoa or any grainy things.

When I make sauce rich dishes that already have vegetables in them, such as goulash, I will accompany it with either potato cakes
Or I make smallish scone cobblers (usually caraway)





Parmesan potato cakes

ingredients
maris pipers
parmesan, grated
s & p
tablesp butter

boil your potatoes until soft
mash with a fork, but don't over do it
add s & p, and butter
shape into cakes rolling with a palette knife, top and bottom with grated parmesan
grill on a non-stick mat or tray for 25 minutes until very golden, turning for evenness

[Joanbunting Profile]

That's the sort of thing I was looking for Gill. I was also thinking something ocontrasting colour so maybe potato and spinach galettes?

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

potato and spinach galettes

on my way over ..................................

[jeral Profile]

Excuse my ignorance, but would galetted spuds be the desired sponges? (Every day's a school day.)

[Amyw Profile]

Nice idea for a thread. I often think accompanying side dishes are often overlooked but can make or break a meal. There's an excellent book called On The Side which deals with just that by Ed Smith.

I hate being served something with lots of lovely sauce and nothing to mop it up with . Bread or dumplings sound like a good shout

[Joanbunting Profile]

No meal here is ever served without bread ! So there is always a mop available.

A veal marengo is very much a Porvencal dish so things like dumplings just wouldn't work. I was trying for something which would be a bit of a contrast in texture and colour. There is also

There is no real need for several vegetables as it already has carrots and button mushrooms. It is usually served with either rice or pasta and you know the reason why this is not really possible As usual I'll serve a green salad with the cheese course

That's whu I came up with spinach and potato galettes. I think the spinach might be replaced by green courgettes - but that's me.

I have spent the morning making anything which requires electrical equipment because last night we had a storm and several power cuts starting at 6.00 when everyone was preparing supper. We ended up sharing out all our food with verious neighbours all clubbed eating outside around a couple of bbqs. because we had no lights but plenty of candles and lanterns. We are promise similar weather from this afternoon but this time with hail!

[Joanbunting Profile]

Tomorrow it's lunch a deux - at M's request. Looking forward to being able to eat in the veranda now thefearsome heat has gone.

The main course is a piece of rolled pork loin however in France you don't get and crackling so I sometimes coat the joint in breadcrumbs, crushed garlic and lots of chopped fresh herbs before roasting. I'd be interested to hear what you would serve with it.

[Suffs Profile]

Creamy wholegrain mustard mash, buttered summer cabbage and roasted apple wedges.