I recently spent five weeks in Paris, staying in the sixth arrondisement of Saint Germain. My apartment was right around the corner from the local street market and I loved strolling up and down the long line of fresh meat, fish, and vegetable vendors, dreaming of what I would cook for my next meal!
One thing I noticed was how many butchers were selling ready-made Paupiettes de Veau in their stalls! These are thin slices of veal wrapped around a stuffing, tied with string and then braised in flavored stock. As a graduate of the Paris Cordon Bleu, I was already a little familiar with this dish, but hadn’t yet prepared it myself. Since the market butchers had already assembled these little parcels (paupiettes), I then jumped at the chance of cooking them myself!
Paupiette de Veau from Paris street market
But first a little background and tips!
The history of paupiettes of veau dates back to thirteenth century Italy, when a Milanese chef introduced thin slices of veal wrapped around a stuffing of herbs, spices, pine nuts and bacon. Over the centuries, this dish became a popular part of French regional cooking. evolving into the stuffed parcel (paupiette) that we know today.
For the stuffing, you could use either ground pork, veal, or even lamb, but pork is the most popular. In order to boost the flavor of this dish, I even added several links of Italian sausage to my ground pork, as well as some toasted pine nuts, and a little spiced tomato sauce.
The braising liquid for the veal parcels often consists of chicken stock combined with aromatics of onion, carrots, and celery, combined with white wine. However, I served my dish with a delicious Mushroom Cream Sauce.
Let’s get started!
Use top round veal for this recipe that has been pounded into a thin rectangular shape. Lay the veal on a flat surface with the long side on top. Place a scoop of stuffing in the center of the veal.
Close the sides of the veal into the center, starting with the short sides first, followed by the long sides. Turn the packet over so the smooth side of the veal is facing up. Wrap a single slice of bacon around the outside.
To finish, cut a piece of butcher’s string so that it measures 3 times the width of the veal packet. Place the string underneath the veal, bring the ends into the center forming a cross, then tie the string on the underside of the veal.
To cook the veal and make the mushroom sauce:
Brown both sides of the veal in a little olive oil and butter, then remove from the pan. Using the residual fat from the pan, saute’ the onions and garlic until soft, then add the chicken (or beef) stock. Place the veal packets back in the pan with the liquid, cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes until the stuffing is cooked through.
Remove the veal from the pan again, reduce the sauce by about 30%, add the diced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 minutes. Thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch if necessary, then stir in the cream.
To serve, remove the string from the veal, slice into 3-4 pieces, add the mushroom cream sauce and serve with vegetables on the side.
Paupiette de Veau
Ingredients
- 4 thin veal scallops
- 2 Italian sausage links (180 g)
- 1/2 lb (500 g) ground pork (veal or lamb)
- 1/2 tsp olive oil + 1 /2 tsp butter to saute’ the shallot/garlic
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsps. chopped Italian parsley
- 2 Tbsps. toasted pine nuts (optional)
- 2–3 Tbsps tomato sauce (I mixed in a little Mexican salsa, too)
- Dash of ground black pepper
- 4 strips bacon for wrapping
- For the Sauce:
- 1.5 cups of chicken stock.
- 1 shallot, finely chopped + one garlic clove, minced
- 5–6 medium-sized white mushrooms, chopped into quarters (or smaller)
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 tsp corn flour mixed with 1 tsp water to thicken, if required
- 1/2 cup thickened cream
Instructions
- Pound the cuts of veal into oval shapes about 1/4 inch thick (or have your butcher do it for you)
- Saute’ the sliced shallots and minced garlic in the olive oil/butter mixture.
- Cut the outer skin from the sausage links and place the meat into a bowl. Add the chopped shallots, minced garlic, ground pork, chopped parsley, tomato sauce, and black pepper. Add the toasted pine nuts, if using. Combine thoroughly with a spoon using your hands.
- Trim one veal scallop to form an oval shape. Place on a board or in a small bowl. Form a meatball from the sausage mixture and place in the center of the scallop. Fold the smaller sides of the veal over the meatball. Then fold over the larger sides to make a small packet. Try to cover the stuffing completely. Turn the veal packet over so the smoother ‘presentation side’ faces upward.
- Wrap a piece of bacon horizontally around each paupiette so that it fits snugly. Cut a piece of butcher’s string measuring about 3 times the horizontal width of each paupiette. Place the paupiette on top of the string and wrap it around as you would a present. Tie the ends of the string on the bottom of the veal packet, so it is not showing.
- Brown both sides of each veal packet in a mixture of olive oil and butter, starting with the smooth presentation-side (careful not to burn). Remove the veal from the pan; using the residual fat in the pan, saute’ the diced shallots and minced garlic. Add the chicken or beef stock and reduce the liquid to about 30% of its original volume.
- Add back the browned veal packets to the pan, cover with a lid, cook for about 15 minutes or until the stuffing is cooked through. Remove the veal and set aside.
- Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add a small amount of corn flour to thicken, if required. Stir in the cream and cook for a further few minutes. The mushroom sauce should be medium thick and not runny.
- To serve, remove the string from the paupiettes, slice into into 3-4 pieces on the plate and cover with some sauce. Serve with baby potatoes and sliced carrots.
3 Comments
L. Turk
November 9, 2026 at 3:41 pmI also saw this dish frequently in Paris! Thanks for the detailed illustration; it’s looks delicious!
Mimi Rippee
November 9, 2026 at 4:29 pmOh how lovely! Paris is a fabulous city – I remember you’ve lived there. And the food!!!
David Scott Allen
November 9, 2026 at 5:33 pmAbsolutely beautiful, Fran! I wish veal were easy to find around here, but it’s almost impossible unless you do mail order. I love your step-by-step instructions. Maybe someday I’ll give this a try using beef or pork.
David Scott Allen recently posted…Recipe for Zuni Café Roast Chicken with Bread Salad