RECIPE: Saltimbocca alla Romana

It's a classic Roman dish that never goes out of style, though there are many renditions of this cucina romana staple: saltimbocca alla romana. The name saltimbocca literally means "jumps in the mouth," which is what a great version of this dish should do, in terms of flavor. The elements are simple: great quality, super thinly-sliced veal scaloppine (though the dish works surprisingly well with chicken or turkey scaloppine as well -- just don't tell any Romans I said so!). Top-quality prosciutto. Fresh sage leaf. Local white wine. Good quality olive oil and butter, and a spritz of lemon and/or white wine vinegar. And that's it. No cheese, please. And for even cooking and simplicity's sake, I don't roll the scaloppine up. Flour is negotiable: coat the scaloppine in a light dusting of flour if you'd like a more pronounced crust to the meat and a slightly thicker sauce. But really, the beauty of the preparation is also its simplicity, like most great Italian dishes.

SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA 

(4 servings)

4 large slices prosciutto, thinly sliced

4 large veal scallopes, about 3/4 lb. total weight

4 fresh sage leaves

AP flour for dusting (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

6 TBS. butter

2 TBS. olive oil

6 TBS. dry white wine

Juice of one lemon or 2 TBSP. white wine vinegar

-Place a slice of prosciutto over each veal slice, so it’s just slightly smaller than the piece of veal.

-Place a sage leaf in the middle of the prosciutto and secure with a wooden toothpick.

-Dredge in flour mixed with a bit of salt and pepper, if desired

-Heat 2 TBS. butter and 2 TBS. oil in a large skillet.

-When foam subsides, add the meat, prosciutto side down.

-Brown on both sides until golden.

 -Remove meat from pan and transfer to serving dish.

-Add wine to skillet, and stir to mix up the browned bits in the pan. Add lemon juice/vinegar here if desired.

-Turn up heat and let the sauce bubble for 1-3 minutes, to reduce to about 1/3 cup of liquid.

- Add the remaining 4 TBS. butter to the pan, a bit at a time, swirling to melt as you go.

-Taste and adjust seasoning, then place veal back in pan to heat through and glaze with sauce. Remove veal and place on a serving platter, pour sauce over meat, and serve.