We promised you a third Vilna Vegetarian recipe, and though we got slightly delayed, here it is…and just in time for Sukkot too! This Imitation Veal “Meatloaf” was the most time consuming of the Lewando recipes that we tested, but it was well worth the effort, and will be much appreciated by any vegetarian guest you may have this holiday. With its beautifully burnished decoration of thinly sliced onion rings, the meatloaf really does have a festival feel.
As per Lewando’s suggestion, we served it alongside a homemade cranberry, which was the perfect complement to the meatloaf’s earthy vegetable flavors. As for the title, the only reason we could come up with for the veal moniker was the milk-colored tone of the dish.
Imitation Veal “Meatloaf”
This is another of Lewando’s recipes that assumes you know what you’re doing in the kitchen. Sizes are fairly unspecific, so it takes some intuition. We 8 instead of 10 tablespoons of butter and about 1.5 diced onions instead of 2, and only one onion and one potato for the layering at the bottom. At the end, we had enough meatloaf for two loaf pans. We also baked the meatloaf for a little longer (~10 minutes) uncovered and made sure to cool completely before refrigerating. This is key, otherwise the meatloaf can become soggy.
Instructions:
Combine 1 clove garlic, 2 bay leaves, 3 allspice berries, 2 onions diced and fried in butter, 1 small cooked celery root, 1 head cooked cabbage, and 1 bread roll soaked in milk. Purée everything in a food mill or food processor, and then add 5 raw eggs, 1 C bread crumbs, 10 tbsp. melted butter, and some salt and pepper. Mix everything well, and form it into a meatloaf. Grease a pan with butter, and cover the bottom with 2 sliced onions and 3 sliced potatoes. Put in the meatloaf, and bake uncovered for ½ hour. Then cover and bake 20 minutes. Serve with cranberry sauce.
