Glazed Veal Leg with Large Potato Gnocchi and Morels

Step 1: Veal Legs

Remove the fat and nerve membranes from the veal legs. Trim completely, and slice 2 identical cuts 14-15 ounces (400-450 g) each. Truss them loosely so that the meat is not too marked. Cut the trimmings.

Remove the roots from the onions and quarter them, leaving their skins on.

Season the veal with fleur de sel.

Heat some olive oil in a cast iron pot and sear the presentation side of the veal, browning nicely and evenly. Brown all over, then add the quartered onions, cloves of slightly crushed, unpeeled garlic, the thyme, veal trimmings and cubed butter.

Put the pot into a 375°F (190°C) oven and bake the veal for 20 minutes, basting every 5 minutes.

When the veal is cooked, set aside on a rack placed on a plate in a warm spot and covered with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Remove some of the fat from the pot, without removing the aromatics. Add the light veal stock and dissolve all of the fond, letting the stock reduce to a glaze. Moisten with veal jus, bring to a boil, skim and simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat.

Step 2: Gnocchi

Wash and cook the potatoes in their skins in a pot of salt water, then peel quickly while still hot.

Press through a tamis and fold in the egg, flour, salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg, working the potatoes as little as possible so that the mixture does not split.

Divide the dough in two, making sure that it remains hot, and shape rolls 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter. Slice 20 small barrels 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. Roll them and crush slightly with the prongs of a fork, and then slide onto a piece of parchment paper.

Plunge the gnocchi into a simmering pot of salt water. Remove as soon as the pieces float to the surface and cool in a receptacle of ice water, then drain on a dishcloth and set aside on a greased sheet pan.