A Simple Classic for Dinner Tonight: Veal Scallopini Picatta

 

Today we bring you a classic technique with this veal scallopini piccata. You can use this same technique with a variety of difference sauces or meats for a similar result. What you get is something light, tasty, quick, and delicious.

The basic idea is a very thin cut of meat - in this case veal, but could be chicken or pork or anything - around a quarter of an inch thick at most, evenly thick throughout. It's dredged in flour and then quickly fried. Then you make the sauce, and simmer in the sauce for a few minutes to absorb the flavor. But we're getting ahead of ourselves - let's dive in!

Making the Dish

What You'll need
3 - 5 thin slices of veal/chicken/pork
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp, capers

Get started by mixing the flour with the salt and pepper and sifting everything together until evenly combined. Dredge the veal pieces in the flour until entirely covered.

In a large non-stick sauté pan, bring the olive oil to a high heat. When it is just barely smoking, add in the veal pieces. Do it in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan.

Let the meat cook on each side for about 2 - 3 minutes, until golden brown, and then flip and cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes until cooked through.

Remove the veal from the skillet and let rest on a paper towel. In the same skillet add in the capers, white wine, and thyme and stir together, scraping up any bits on the pan. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add the lemon juice and the butter to the pan, and reduce the heat. Swirl the butter around until melted. Then, add the veal pieces back to the pan, stirring together gently and sloshing some of the sauce around until the pieces are covered. Remove from heat.

Serve over your favorite side - in our case, that was pasta with a quick coating of lemon, butter, and pecorino.











The Result
For a 15 minute fix, this is tough to beat. Quick, light, and flavorful, this does not dissapoint. You can modify this easily - swapping out the capers and white wine for mushrooms and marsala, and you have veal marsala. Or add tomato sauce and amp it up. Or cook with spinach. Or whatever you want. It's an easy technique that 's simple to master.

Have you cooked anything in this way before? If so, let us know about it in the comments and give us some links to go and find the recipes!

One year ago: Penne all'Arrabiatta