Veal Scallopini with Artichokes and Balsamic Vinegar
A Tasty Combination of Veal and Artichokes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- salt & pepper to taste
- 6 oz veal cutlets thinly sliced and pounded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup button mushrooms
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 cup whole artichokes in water, well drained
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar the older the better
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Pound the veal cutlets to ¼ inch thickness. I use a meat pounder but you can use a small sauté pan to do the job.
- Even if you do a good job draining the artichokes, carefully place them whole in the palm of your hand and give them a gentle squeeze to remove any extra water. We don't want any water diluting the flavor of this dish. When done, cut the artichokes into quarters.If the mushrooms need cleaning, just wipe them with a damp paper towel. Mushrooms are like sponges and if you wash them under the tap, they will absorb a lot of water that we will end up having to cook off.If the button mushrooms are small, you can just cut them in half but if they are large, I would slice them up.
- Finely chop the shallots
How to Prepare at Home
- Add the flour to a shallow soup bowl or baking pan and season it with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of veal cutlet into the flour being sure to remove any excess flour by hitting two pieces together or taping each piece with a fork, whatever works for you.Important - If the veal cutlets turn out soggy or lumpy, it's most likely because there is too much flour on them. We want a very light coating.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold all the veal pieces. If you don't have one that big, work in batches. You never want to crowd the pan or have pieces touching or they won't sauté properly and instead of browning, they will steam. Not good for texture or flavor.
- When the oil is hot but not smoking, sauté the veal cutlets for about 2 minutes per side. When brown, remove and reserve to a plate. We are going to add the veal back to the pan in the end so don't worry about keeping them warm.
Making a Pan Sauce for the Veal
- Carefully add the wine to the pan to deglaze. I like to remove the pan from the heat to avoid flaming up.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, chopped shallots, artichokes and fresh thyme.
- After the wine cooks down to an essence, that is until it is almost all gone, add the balsamic vinegar. Just before the balsamic vinegar comes to a boil, add the veal back to the pan and then whisk in the cold butter pieces one at a time. (Mount)To mount butter is a technique where small pieces of cold, unsalted butter are whisked into a sauce just before serving. The butter is what gives pan sauces that velvety texture, extra flavor, sheen and those extra but worthwhile calories.
- Divide the veal pieces between two warmed plates and top with sauce and serve with your favorite side dishes.