R E C I P E S

Saltimbocca (Veal Scallops with Ham)

By Edward Behr

The various northern Italian recipes for rolled-up thin slices of veal form a loose group, including uccelletti scappati (birds that have flown), quagliette di vitello (little veal quails), and braciolette (little skewers). The best known of the type, though, is usually cooked flat: the Roman dish saltimbocca (jump into your mouth). To make it, Pellegrino Artusi’s classic cookbook, La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene, first published in 1891 and still widely used, calls for simply pinning together with a toothpick half a sage leaf, a slice of ham with its fat, and a slice of veal, and sautéing. That’s it. Saltimbocca is still often made that way. However, it’s not only easy to overcook the thin scallops — certainly if you want browning — but the ham side, as Artusi notes, must be cooked less or it turns hard. Instead, for saltimbocca I like to form the veal and ham into little rolls. Sometimes the simple dish contains an addition of Marsala or white wine to make a sauce. For me, the white wine ties together the ham and veal. With flavorful ham, you need only a thin slice, and the ham’s salt is sufficient. Any of these veal dishes goes well with almost any vegetable and with buttered rice or polenta, the latter enriched in the usual way with butter and grated Parmigiano.

 

1 pound (500 gr) veal scallopini, preferably from top round, cut across the grain ¼ inch (6 mm) thick

black pepper

2 to 4 ounces (60 to 100 gr) paper-thin slices of raw, dry-cured ham (prosciutto, Southern country ham), depending on the ham’s salty intensity

fresh sage leaves

clarified unsalted butter or excellent, fresh-tasting olive oil

¾ cup (175 ml) dry white wine, optional

 

Pound each slice of veal with a mallet to flatten and spread it slightly. Season it with a grinding of pepper, and place a paper-thin slice of ham on it — the ham should almost but not quite cover the veal — and then half a sage leaf. Roll them up together, and secure with a toothpick. Brown the rolls in hot fat over medium heat for several minutes, turning. Add the wine, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook about 10 minutes. Serve the rolls with the wine in the pan as a sauce. Serves 4.

From The Art of Eating Cookbook

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