Cheese Stuffed Veal With a Fruit and Port Wine Sauce

Step 1: Veal ... Make sure to take the veal out of the refrigerator to let it come to room temperature. Lay on a sheet of parchment paper and season the top side with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Filling ... Add the cheese, thyme, and bread crumbs to a small bowl and mix to combine. Spread on the veal, leaving a little border; so, once it is rolled ... the cheese will not be pressed out. Roll and secure either with a toothpick or you can use kitchen or butchers twine. A toothpick, I find works best for this.

Step 3: Coating ... Add the flour with a good pinch or salt and pepper to a pie plate or shallow pan, and mix to combine. Add the veal rolls to the flour, making sure to coat all the sides; then, shake off any excess - you want a very light coating. Set to the side to rest at least 10 minutes before sauteing.

Step 4: Prep ... Before you start to cook the veal; make sure to have have everything prepared for your sauce (all the fruit chopped). The veal cooks very quickly.

Step 5: Saute ... Add the butter and oil to a large saute pan and bring to medium high heat. Saute the veal rolls on each side until you get a golden brown color. They should only take about 6-8 minutes; they cook very quickly, and you don't want to over cook them. Transfer to a serving platter and cover with foil to rest as you make the sauce. You can also put them in a 225 degree, covered, to keep warm too.

Step 6: Sauce ... On medium heat, add the shallot to the pan drippings, and cook 1 minute; then, deglaze with the port wine, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan - cook another minute. Add the apples, pears, cranberries, apricots, honey, broth, thyme, rosemary, and a pinch of both salt and pepper to the pan, and bring to a boil. Then, immediately reduce to medium heat (just under a boil), and cook 3-4 minutes until the fruit is tender, and the sauce has reduced. Add the butter right before serving, and check for any additional seasoning (salt and pepper) if necesary.

Step 7: Serve ... Add the veal bundles to a platter over a bed of a white and wild rice blend; and, pour the fruit sauce over the top. The sauce is just as good over the rice, as it is over the veal. This is delicious elegant, but NOT difficult. You can also serve this on individual plates if you prefer. I prefer to serve it family style. Roasted asparagus or green beans are a great side dish. ENJOY!