I recently ran across some nice looking veal scallopini at the Harris Teeter the other day, and decided to buy some since it had been a while since I’ve had veal. I usually make Veal Marsala, but this time I wanted something different. Since I already had some Fontina cheese at home (and no Marsala wine), I decided to make this quick, easy and delectable Veal Saltimbocca. Make sure that your veal pieces are pounded thin – about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. “Saltimbocca” means “jump in your mouth” in Italian, and this stuff certainly does – it is absolutely fabulous!

Ingredients

• 6 pieces veal scallopini (about 9 oz.)
• ½ cup flour
• 6 thin slices prosciutto
• 6 thin slices Fontina cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cup of decent dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the veal pieces with salt and fresh ground pepper. Dredge in flour.

Brown each side of the meat in the melted butter, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.

Place a slice of prosciutto on each piece of veal, and top with the cheese. Heat until the prosciutto is warm and the cheese has melted.

Transfer the meat from the pan to a plate and keep warm.

Add the wine to the skillet and boil until it starts to reduce. Add the butter and season to taste with seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper.

Pour a little bit of the wine/butter sauce over the veal and garnish with the lemon.

I like to serve this with a fresh green salad and rolls, or fettuccini tossed with butter, extra virgin olive oil, garlic salt, fresh ground pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

A nice pinot noir goes great with this. We only had one on the wine rack, which I went ahead and opened. I was on my own for dinner, but Brad appeared in the middle of my meal and commented, “Oh, I see you opened the good stuff.” Reminescent of his comment when I used the Don Julio tequila for my Tequila Sunrises. And, what is becoming my standard response, “It’s for the blog, honey.” “It’s a grand cru,”  he replied. Of course it is, my dear, of course it is. And quite tasty, I might add.

BTW, this veal saltimbocca reheats well in the toaster over at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Zap the butter/wine sauce in the microwave for 45 seconds or so. Also, many recipes call for dried sage in this recipe, which I thought I had on hand but did not. Honestly, I did not miss it, but it does add another dimension to the dish.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!