Veal Knuckle Roast with Gratinated Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 800 g cocktail tomatoes
• basil (for garnish)
• 1.5 kg veal knuckle (trimmed)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 4 shallots
• 1 fresh head of garlic
• olive oil
• 250 ml white wine
• 750 ml veal stock
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 carrots
• 200 g celery
• 0.5 bunch thyme
• 1 tsp starch (optional)
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 small eggplant
• 2 bell peppers (red and yellow)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 125 g butter
• 3 slices day‑old toast bread
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and halve the shallots.

2. 2.

   Wash the meat, pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Sear all around in 2 tbsp hot oil until browned, then remove from the pot. In the same pot brown the shallots, diced carrots and celery, and halved garlic head; stir in tomato paste and deglaze with white wine. Reduce by half, add some stock, add half the thyme sprigs, and place the meat on top.

3. 3.

   Roast in a preheated oven at 80 °C for about 2–3 hours (internal temperature 60 °C), turning the meat every 30 minutes and adding more stock as needed.

4. 4.

   For the crust, wash, peel or cut the vegetables into fine pieces. Sauté in 2 tbsp hot oil until clear, then remove from heat. Add thyme leaves (reserve some sprigs for garnish) and season with salt and pepper; let cool. Toast bread, pulse in a blender to a fine crumb. Mix the crumbs with the vegetable mixture, egg yolk, and room‑temperature butter; season, shape into a roll (use parchment paper), and chill.

5. 5.

   When the meat is done, transfer the pot to an oven‑proof dish. Switch the oven to grill mode. Take the crust mixture from the fridge, slice thickly, and lay over the meat. Arrange washed tomatoes around the meat, salt lightly, drizzle with olive oil. Broil for about 10 minutes until the crust is crisp and the tomatoes burst.

6. 6.

   Strain the sauce, reduce if desired, season with salt and pepper.

7. 7.

   Remove the meat from the oven, let rest briefly, then slice and arrange on plates with surrounding tomatoes. Drizzle the tomato liquid over the slices and serve the sauce in small bowls. Garnish with basil and remaining thyme.