Veal Escalope with Prosciutto and Sage
The classic version of this is called Saltimbocca and is made with marsala to deglaze the pan and create a sauce. It’s not something I keep in the house and for me, the combination of veal, lemon, prosciutto and sage is enough without the addition of any alcohol. It’s also something you can make with chicken or pork instead if you are concerned about finding ethically farmed veal. But, that shouldn’t really be an issue so long as you buy British veal and in fact, there is some argument that you SHOULD buy veal.
Rose veal, which is so called because the meat has a pinkish hue as the calves are not reared entirely on milk, is a way of enabling dairy farmers to use the male calves that would otherwise be slaughtered almost at birth. And, according to Jimmy Docherty, the animals have a longer life than many other types of meat we eat (chicken and lamb for example). I’m interested in your views. I happily do this recipe with pork fillet, which is cheaper but tends to be sold in a quantity that means I’m eating pork for the next week. And, I’m no longer sure what is ethical and sustainable and what is not!
- 1 Veal Escalope beaten out between clingfilm till about 1/4cm thick
- 1/2 Lemon
- 2 Sage Leaves
- 1-2 thin slice Proscuitto
- 25 g Butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dry Marsala or dry white wine
- place the sage on top of the veal, season with fresh black pepper and then place a slice of proscuitto on top and wrap it round the escalope
- Press down to seal the proscuitto to the veal and then, repeat with a second piece of proscuitto and sage if necessary so you have a 'parcel' with all the delicate meat wrapped in proscuitto
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the oil. When the mixture is hot, add the meat
- Cook on each side for about one and a half minutes
- Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm. Squeeze the lemon into the juices to make a light sauce. Reduce down just a little before pouring over the escalope
- Serve with new potatoes and green vegetables
I’m proud to say that despite our disastrous summer, the sage, potatoes, peas sorrel and beans are all from my little roof terrace. And all ‘harvested’ about 5 minutes before they found the pan! And whether you make it with veal, pork or chicken it’s a very quick and easy supper dish
What a great recipe. We rarely eat veal, and when we do, I always cook it the same boring way so this has inspired me to try something new! Sending to the printer! Thank you!
This looks amazing
I love the sound of this; however, as I am cooking for a family of 6, I would probably use pork fillet as it would keep the costs down. Alternatively could use this recipe when entertaining. I like the fact that the accompaniments are fairly simple to complement the meat.
Saltimbocca is one of my favourite dishes, this looks fab.