Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is now one of Switzerland’s national dishes. Whilst recipes for sliced veal were already widespread in the Alpine region in the 19th century, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes was first mentioned in 1903 in Marie Imhoof’s cookbook *Schweizerisches Familien-Kochbuch* as a dish made with sliced veal. (Source: SRF programme A Point: Dishes and their history: Zürcher Geschnetzeltes).
The dish is almost identical to the recipe we use today. Personally, though, I don’t dust the mushrooms with flour. The mushrooms thicken the sauce perfectly well on their own!
In 2021, I started making cooking videos with fellow actors and friends on my YouTube channel @Vivikocht. Tim Hammelberg, an editor at ARD, came across them and invited me to cook Zürcher Geschnetzeltes for the ARD Buffet programme “So isst Europa”.
Following extensive research in the Kronenhalle and the Zunfthaus zur Waag, several trial runs in the kitchen and discussions with locals and chef friends such as Stef Wieser, decisions were made on matters such as whether or not to include kidneys. My partner, who is brutally honest, served as my critical taste-tester. Once I had passed these tests, I managed to persuade the Swiss cultural journalist Stefan Zweifel to cook with me.
Zurich-style Geschnetzeltes has traditionally been served with rösti since the 20th century. Click here for the recipe: Swiss Rösti – The Original. This recipe is simply always a winner. As the perfect side dish for any meal, anything is possible with potatoes! When making rösti, it’s essential to choose the right potatoes and, crucially, to know how to grate them. It sounds funny, but it makes all the difference.
Ingredients
- 800g veal fillet, cut into finger-width strips
- Salt for seasoning the meat
- Pepper for seasoning the meat
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1–2 shallots, finely chopped
- 100g white and brown button mushrooms, sliced
- 100ml dry white wine
- 150ml beef stock
- 100ml brown sauce stock
- 150ml cream
- a dash of cognac (to taste)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 60 degrees. Cut the meat into strips about as wide as your finger, season with salt and pepper, and fry briefly in a little butter. Keep the meat warm.
For the sauce, gently fry the chopped shallots in a little butter; once they are soft and sweet, add the sliced mushrooms, continue to fry and season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with white wine. Stir well. Add the stock and the sauce base, then simmer for 15 minutes over a low heat.
Pour in the cream. Simmer briefly once more, purée with a hand blender, then pass through a sieve. Add the meat (which has been kept warm) along with the meat juices that have run off, and stir. Remove from the heat. Serve on warm plates.
More delicious recipes
- Veal Sweetbread Vol-au-Vent
- Yoghurt-marinated flat chicken with rosemary and lemon
- Carpaccio of boiled beef with vegetable vinaigrette
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Recipe card
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Zürcher Geschnetzeltes – Swiss Veal in Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 800 g veal fillet cut into finger-width strips
- 1 Pinch Salt to season
- 1 Pinch Pepper to season
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1–2 shallots finely chopped
- 100 g mushrooms sliced, white and brown button
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 150 ml beef stock
- 100 ml brown sauce fond
- 150 ml cream
- 1 dash cognac optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 60°C (140°F). Cut the veal into finger-width strips, season with salt and pepper, and sear briefly in a little butter. Keep warm in the oven.
- For the sauce, gently fry the chopped shallots in a little butter until soft and sweet. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to fry, seasoning with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the white wine and stir well. Add the beef stock and sauce fond, then simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the cream. Simmer briefly, then blend with a hand blender and pass through a sieve. Add the warm veal along with any meat juices and stir through. Remove from the heat and serve on warm plates.
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