Veal is probably one of the most popular meats served in Italy and recipes for it are legion. If you have any difficulty getting hold of veal, or perhaps would prefer not to eat it, then this recipe also works perfectly well with pork fillet.
preparation time 20 minutes
cooking time about 20 minutes
serves 6
Ingredients
6 veal escalopes, weighing about 750 g (11⁄2 lb) in total
2 tablespoons olive oil
50 g (2 oz) butter
75 g (3 oz) shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
75 g (3 oz) wild mushrooms, sliced
75 g (3 oz) leeks, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 small glass of sherry
1 small glass of dry white wine
300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
50 g (2 oz) mozzarella cheese, diced
finely grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon
a pinch of paprika
6 sprigs of fresh sage
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place each veal escalope between 2 sheets of cling film and flatten gently with a rolling pin or meat mallet until very thin. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the butter and, once melted, add the escalopes (in batches if necessary). Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side, until browned, then remove from the pan and keep warm.
3 Add the shallots to the pan and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic, wild mushrooms and leeks and cook for 4 minutes, until softened. Add the chopped sage, sherry and white wine and boil until the liquid has reduced by a third.
4 Pour in the double cream and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and add the mozzarella. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
5 Add the lemon zest and juice and the paprika, then season with salt and pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more white wine or sherry until it is to your liking.
6 Put the escalopes on warm serving plates and pour the sauce around. Garnish each one with a sprig of sage and then serve.
Before you flatten the veal escalopes, be sure to remove the wide strip of sinew covering the surface of each one – or ask your butcher to do this for you. Be careful when flattening them that you do not bash them too enthusiastically and make holes in the meat.