Veal Scallopini Piccata

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Almost a year ago I had Veal Piccata at an Italian restaurant in Michigan when celebrating my Grandpa’s 90th birthday. I had never tasted anything so incredibly delicious and I have wanted to recreate the dish ever since. Despite the fact that it took a village to make this dish (thanks to my dad who drove the veal from NC to TN, my mom for the serving platter, America’s Test Kitchen, & my FGN friends), it was actually quite easy to make… The real reason that this took so long was that I basically agonized over it for about 10 months, which I am convinced improved the flavor. 

It. Was. Good. So. Good. The sauce was so flavorful-light and rich, if that makes sense, and I am glad that I doubled the recipe for the sauce. The veal itself was just about perfect- although I will cook it a second less next time.

It took all I had inside me to not have the leftovers for dessert… and by dessert I mean the “dessert” AFTER the huge piece of chocolate cake that I had for dessert after my huge serving of veal for dinner. 

And lastly, why would anyone ever eat chicken when veal exists? To those of you who have moral qualms with eating baby cow: your loss. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. veal scallopini (or cutlets, pounded very thin ~1/8inch 
• 1 teaspoon meat tenderizer (if pounding the veal yourself)
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Once veal is scallopini-ed pat each dry with a paper towel and sprinkle tenderizer on it (if using). Sprinkle both sides of each piece of veal with a bit of pepper. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet until smoking. Dunk ONE side of the veal in the flour and shake off. Place in the hot skillet flour-side-down. Cook, without moving, for about a minute or a minute and a half, until lightly browned. Turn over and cook another 30 seconds or so (these need just moments of cooking). Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet in a warm oven (170 degrees). Continue cooking the rest of the veal the same way, only flouring one side, and adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Once finished, make the PICCATA SAUCE…

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup diced shallots
• 3 cups chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon and it was AWESOME)
• 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 4-5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

In the same skillet as the veal add the vegetable oil and heat (don’t clean out the pan). Add the shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and let simmer until reduced by about half (this took about 10-12 minutes). Whisk in the parsley, butter, and lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour over the veal and serve immediately. 

I served this over angel hair pasta and there was just the right amount of sauce to douse your pasta and veal. This makes enough to serve 6.