Rôti de Veau Orloff — Roast Veal with Soubise and Mornay

Veal Orloff (named for the Russian prince) is one of the grand roasts of classical French cuisine — a loin of veal roasted, sliced, reassembled with layers of soubise (onion sauce) and duxelles between each slice, coated in Sauce Mornay, and gratinéed under the salamander. The preparation is architectural and demands precise timing across multiple components. Roast a 1.5kg boned and tied loin of veal at 180°C for 50-60 minutes, basting with butter every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 65°C (veal must be cooked through but not dried — the target is blush-pink at the centre, not rare). Rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the soubise: sweat 400g thinly sliced onions in 40g butter with a pinch of sugar until melting and translucent (30 minutes — no colour), add 200ml béchamel, simmer 10 minutes, purée until silk-smooth. Prepare the duxelles: 300g mushrooms finely chopped, squeezed dry, sautéed in butter with shallots until all moisture has evaporated. Prepare Sauce Mornay (béchamel enriched with Gruyère and egg yolks). The assembly: carve the rested veal into 1cm slices, keeping them in order. Spread soubise on the bottom of a heatproof platter. Reassemble the roast, inserting a spoonful of duxelles between each slice. Press gently to reform the roast shape. Nap the entire reassembled roast with Sauce Mornay, sprinkle with grated Gruyère, and gratinée under the salamander at 280°C until golden and bubbling. Carve at the table — each slice comes with its own filling, held together by the golden cheese coating.