Veal Breast Stuffed with Spinach
Boned veal breast stuffed with spinach folded into a white roux sauce and sour cream, sewn closed and roasted until golden and tender.
Quick Summary
This Central European main dish features a boned veal breast stuffed with spinach, roux, and sour cream. Ready in 145 minutes, it stands out as the roast is sewn shut, letting the filling steam and baste the meat from within.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently kitchen-tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — results may vary and errors may exist. Nutritional values, where provided, are estimates only and have not been laboratory tested. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
Use of this recipe is entirely at your own risk and subject to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Attic Recipes accepts no liability for any adverse outcome.
- Dairy
- Gluten
Additional notes
-
Note
This dish is high in saturated fat per serving due to the butter and sour cream used in the filling and basting. Those managing saturated fat intake may want to reduce the butter quantity.
- 1
Clean the veal breast, wash, and pat dry. Season generously, inside and out, with the 10g salt.
- 2
Melt the 15g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the 10g flour and cook briefly, stirring, keeping the roux pale — it should not brown.
- 3
Gradually whisk the 300ml milk into the roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat and let cool.
- 4
Meanwhile, clean the spinach and blanch in salted water. Drain well, squeezing out excess moisture, and chop finely.
- 5
Fold the chopped spinach into the cooled sauce. Season with the 3g salt, then stir in the 60g sour cream to finish the filling.
- 6
Stuff the veal breast with the spinach filling. Secure closed with food-safe kitchen twine, or metal skewers, so the filling doesn't spill out during roasting.
Tip A plain sewing thread is not food-safe for oven use — use kitchen twine or metal skewers instead. - 7
Place the stuffed veal in a deep roasting dish. Melt the 50g butter and pour it over the meat.
- 8
Roast at 180°C (350°F) / 160°C fan for about 100 minutes, until the veal is golden brown and cooked through.
Tip Veal should reach a minimum internal temperature of 63°C (145°F); this roasting time takes it well past that point. - 9
Let the roast rest briefly, then slice with a sharp knife so each slice includes some of the filling. Serve with boiled potatoes drizzled with butter and a side salad of choice.
Nutrition Information per 1 portion (approx 320g)
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with boiled potatoes drizzled with melted butter and a side salad of choice.
About This Recipe
This is a whole boned veal breast stuffed with a creamy spinach filling, sewn shut, and roasted until the outside is deep golden and the inside stays tender and moist from the filling steaming gently within the meat as it cooks. The filling itself is simple but well-built: spinach folded into a pale roux sauce, finished with sour cream for richness.
It’s the kind of dish built for a special Sunday table — a single roast that slices into neat portions, each one already showing off the spinach filling at its center, no extra assembly needed at serving time.
Why It Works
Keeping the roux pale rather than browned means the sauce thickens the spinach filling without adding a toasted flavor that would compete with the meat. Sewing or skewering the breast shut before roasting keeps the filling contained as the veal cooks, so the moisture from the spinach filling bastes the meat from the inside while the butter poured over the top browns the outside.
Modern Kitchen Tips
Ask your butcher to bone the veal breast for you and leave a pocket for stuffing — it saves a considerable amount of prep time. Let the roux-based sauce cool fully before mixing in the spinach and sour cream; adding them to a hot sauce can cause the sour cream to separate later during baking. Tent the roast loosely with foil if it’s browning too quickly before the inside is fully cooked through.
A classic of early 20th century home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Early 20th century recipes for stuffed veal like this one typically left the size of the meat, the amount of milk for the sauce, and the roasting time to the cook's experience and the size of the joint available. Sewing the stuffed breast closed with thread was standard household practice of the period, before kitchen twine and skewers were commonly available. The white roux, kept pale rather than browned, was the typical base for a filling sauce of this kind.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
Veal breast weight, milk quantity, salt amounts, oven temperature, and roasting time were not specified in the original and have been estimated based on the type of cut and period roasting practice. A plain sewing thread, as used historically, is not food-safe for oven cooking; food-safe kitchen twine or metal skewers are used instead to hold the filling in place. Frozen spinach can be substituted for fresh, using about 450g thawed and thoroughly drained. The veal should reach a minimum safe internal temperature of 63°C (145°F).
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
One recipe.
Every week.
You Might Also Like
More recipes from the same category
Braised Pork Chops in White Wine and Sour Cream Sauce
Pork loin chops braised with onion, carrot, parsley root, and celery root in white wine, then finished with a strained sour cream sauce.
Breaded Savoy Cabbage Stuffed with Ham
Tender young savoy cabbage heads filled with ground ham, fried onion, and herbs, breaded and pan-fried until golden. A hearty Central European classic.
Chicken in Asparagus Sauce
A whole chicken poached in spiced broth, then finished in a silky velouté enriched with egg yolks and cream, garnished with tender asparagus tips.