Roast veal chop, with salsa verde and fennel

Serves 4

Place the veal on four plates, serve with a wedge of lemon and spoon over the salsa verde (Lisa Barber)

For the salsa verde

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
1 bunch of mint, leaves only
1 handful of rocket
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
10 capers, well rinsed
3 anchovies
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
180ml/6fl oz good-quality olive oil
A little salt

For the veal and fennel

4 fennel bulbs, tough outer layer removed
The juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 veal chop per person
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6.

For the salsa verde, place the parsley, mint and rocket into a blender along with the mustard, capers and anchovies. Add the red-wine vinegar and blitz until the herbs have just a little texture left. Pour the olive oil in through the funnel in the top, and taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary – it should need very little salt. Set aside in a bowl. Salsa verde keeps well for three to four days, but don’t leave it in the fridge, as the cold bruises the herbs and makes them taste old.

Next, using a sharp knife, slice the fennel bulbs lengthwise into about six pieces each. Place on a baking tray, squeeze over the lemon juice, season with the salt and pepper, and pour over the oil. Toss together with your fingers, cover with foil, place in the hot oven and roast covered for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for a further 10 minutes to allow the fennel to get a little colour. Remove from the oven while you cook the veal chop.

Place a large pan over a high flame on top of the stove and brown the chops. Once the pan is very hot, season the meat really generously with the salt and pepper and lay in the pan – if you don’t have a pan large enough to hold all the chops comfortably do a couple at a time and keep them in a warm place until the others are cooked. Cook each without turning for approximately four minutes then turn and cook on the other side for a further three minutes. To my mind, meat is only really delicious when it has been properly browned on the outside – it gives it a proper crust, which is delicious before you discover the tender centre.

When they are all browned, place the chops into a roasting pan and roast on the middle shelf of the preheated oven, cook for five minutes then remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes in a warm place.

To serve, place the veal on four plates, serve with a wedge of lemon and spoon over the salsa verde.