I went to a typical Perth café the other night and had Saltimbocca, one of Italy’s best-known dishes and I can understand why. It was lovely and it’s easy to make. It is simple enough for a weekday meal and fancy enough for a dinner party.
Stephanie Alexander suggests that the most difficult part of the recipe will be obtaining high-quality veal. If you can’t get veal, try Girello which is readily available and nearly as nice.
This recipe is from Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion.
These quantities serve 2.
- 4 veal scaloppine
- 4 sage leaves
- 4 thin slices of prosciutto
- plain flour
- salt and coarsely ground pepper
- 50g unsalted butter
- 20 mls olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Flatten meat using a meat mallet, rolling pin or whatever.
- Cut a slice of prosciutto the same size as each piece of veal.
- Place a slice of prosciutto onto each piece of veal.
- Place a sage leaf in the middle of each piece of prosciutto.
- Secure the sage leaf and prosciutto onto the veal with a toothpick.
- Dip veal into seasoned flour and shake off excess.
- Gently heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan on low to medium heat.
- Add veal and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
- Add wine and turn up heat to full.
- Cook for one minute more.
- Serve immediately.
Passion Fruit Garden 
Hi Aunty Glen,
Thanks for the recipe – reminds me of a fav meal I used to have at Interfoods in Freo which has since closed down. Also its a lot easier to get veal or baby beef here than in Scotland!!
Kate
Hi Kate I often think about the fact that you couldn’t get veal in Scotland. Weird isn’t it?
Delicous Glenda, I havn’t had Saltimbocca for quite some time, this post has been a timely reminder at whats for dinner tonight 🙂
Hi Lisa. I hope you enjoy it.
I’ve no problem getting veal — it’s being able to afford it that gives me pause. Still a good saltimbocca is worth it. And this is a good recipe for saltimbocca. Thanks, Glenda, for sharing.
Hi John, I am sure you have had many a Saltimbocca
We don’t see it here in South Africa either, what is Girello?
Hi Sue – we use it here to mean parts of the thigh muscles on yearling beef. Supermarkets sometimes sell it as minute steak.
I think they’ve stopped making veal here in the US – haven’t seen it in my groceries in years – have no idea why, but my guess is that it got very expensive and nobody bought it anymore. But it still shows up in restaurants – so I guess it’s like prime rib, if you want some, you get it in a restaurant.
That is interesting. My niece tried to buy some in Scotland and was told they don’t sell it in Scotland because people don’t buy it. They don’t like the idea of eating calves.