Saltimbocca Alla Romana
Quick Recipes Veal Italian Meat Dishes
Saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth" in Italian, meaning it's made so quickly and tastes so delicious that it practically jumps straight into your mouth. I completed it with a delicious wine and chicken stock sauce, brightened with a splash of lemon juice. A perfect pairing!
If I confess to you - in complete secrecy, of course - that I literally licked the plate clean, you might not believe me... but I challenge you to make this saltimbocca alla romana recipe and try to resist this gesture that surely isn't included in proper table manners 😋 (see? even the emoticon is licking the plate!)
Ingredients
4 veal cutlets (about 50g each)
4 prosciutto slices (I used Parma prosciutto)
8 sage leaves
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter (good quality; 80% fat)
30 ml dry white wine
120 ml chicken stock (homemade)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white flour
salt, ground black pepper
Servings: 2
How to prepare saltimbocca alla romana
- Take each cutlet one at a time. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top and pound it thin, as for schnitzels, using the flat side of the meat mallet. When pounding, start from the center and work toward the edges, then repeat until you reach the desired thickness. When finished, lift the cutlet and hold it toward the window. You'll see if it's evenly pounded throughout. If you notice thicker areas, work on those a bit more.
- Place a slice of prosciutto on each cutlet. Trim it if it doesn't fit perfectly. Press the prosciutto with your hand so it sticks to the cutlet. What do you think now? It's like the veal and pork were born as Siamese twins, right? 😉
- Secure 2 sage leaves to each cutlet with toothpicks. Be careful that the toothpick doesn't pierce through to the other side - insert it at an angle.
- On the cutlets, on the side opposite the sage leaves, sprinkle very little salt and ground black pepper to taste. Dredge the cutlets in flour on both sides, then shake off the excess flour well.
- Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter very well in a skillet. From now on, keep the heat at maximum the entire time.
- Place the cutlets in the skillet to fry, with the prosciutto side down. Fry only 2 cutlets at a time, don't crowd them. After 1.5 minutes (when the prosciutto is golden), flip the cutlets and fry for another minute on the other side. Remove the cutlets to a warmed platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- After frying all the cutlets, drain most of the fat from the skillet (leave only about 1 tablespoon, roughly).
- Pour the wine into the skillet and boil for 1 minute, until almost completely evaporated.
- Add the stock and boil over high heat for another 5 minutes, until reduced by more than half.
- Add the remaining butter (1 tablespoon, but not too generous) and cook for 2 more minutes after the butter melts. You'll notice the sauce thickening a bit.
- Add the lemon juice and cook for another minute. After adding the lemon juice, you'll see the sauce thicken even more. The sauce is ready when you run a wooden spoon through it and it leaves marks on the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of sauce into warmed plates. Place the saltimbocca on top. Serve immediately.
- Side dishes: sauteed spinach, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes.
Beat the veal chops until thin
Cover the veal chops with prosciutto slices
Stick the sage leaves with toothpicks
The chops are ready
Dredge the chops in flour
Heat the oil and butter
Fry the chops, prosciutto side down
Flip and fry on the other side
Degrease the pan with wine
The sauce is ready when the wooden spoon leaves marks on the bottom of the pan
Saltimbocca Alla Romana
