Veal Marsala with Tender Pounded Scaloppine

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A trattoria classic built on one skill: buying the right cut of veal and pounding it thin so it cooks in 90 seconds and stays silky. The cutlets get a whisper-thin flour coat, a hard sear in butter and oil, then a fast pan sauce of cremini mushrooms, dry Marsala and veal stock finished with cold butter. Start to finish it's a 40-minute dinner that eats like a $25 entree.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb veal cutlets from the top round or leg (8 pieces), about 1/2 inch thick before pounding
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 cup veal or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Buy the right cut: ask the butcher for veal scaloppine cut from the top round or leg, sliced across the grain about 1/2 inch thick. Avoid shoulder cutlets (too much connective tissue) and pre-pounded packages that are already ragged or gray. If you can only find a single 1 1/4-lb piece of veal top round, slice it yourself across the grain into 8 even pieces.
2. Pound the veal: place one cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a zip-top bag. Using the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small skillet, strike from the center outward with firm, gliding blows — pushing outward rather than smashing straight down — until the cutlet is an even 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and lay them on a parchment-lined tray. Blot both sides very dry with paper towels.
3. Season the cutlets on both sides with the sea salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate. Set a wire rack or second tray nearby for the cooked veal, and have all sauce ingredients prepped and within reach — once you start cooking, the whole dish moves in 15 minutes.
4. Heat a 12-inch stainless or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until a drop of water skitters, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Dredge 3 or 4 cutlets in flour, pressing lightly and shaking off all excess so the coating is barely visible, then lay them in the pan without crowding.
5. Cook the veal 60 to 90 seconds per side, until deep golden at the edges and just firm in the center. Transfer to the rack. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter, dredge and cook the second batch the same way. Do not cover the cooked veal tightly or it will steam and toughen.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons butter to the pan drippings. Add the mushrooms in a single layer with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring only every minute or so, until they release their liquid and it evaporates and the edges brown, 6 to 7 minutes.
7. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Pull the pan off the heat, pour in the Marsala, then return to medium-high and scrape up the browned fond with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds and no longer smells sharp, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Add the stock and thyme and simmer briskly until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and has reduced to about 3/4 cup, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and taste for salt.
9. Lower the heat to the barest simmer. Whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, swirling constantly, until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened — do not let it boil once the butter goes in or it will break.
10. Return the veal to the pan along with any juices from the rack, turning each cutlet to coat, and warm through for 45 to 60 seconds only. Shower with parsley, grind over black pepper, and serve immediately with the mushrooms and sauce spooned over the top.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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