Don't Forget Outdoor Entertainment

"All right...all right...but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order...what have the Romans done for us?"

                            ~Monty Python's "Life of Brian"

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca means "jump in your mouth" because the dish is just so good, that's what this recipe seems to do.

In this dish, thin slices of veal are "married" (maritati) with thin slices of ham, usually prosciutto, and a sage leaf.  All held together with a wooden toothpick.  They are then sauteed in oil, butter and white wine and that's when it just jumps in your mouth!  Simple as that.

 


The Romans consider saltimbocca a quintessential Roman dish.  However, the veal/ham marriage has popped up in various other regions of Italy in various other versions in the history of Italian cuisine.  I'm content to let these regions duke it out for claims as to the origin of this dish.  In the meantime, enjoy making this delicious 6-ingredient main course.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of veal scalopini

1/4 pound of prosciutto

8-10 fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon of butter

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place the veal between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it thin with the smooth side of a meat pounder.  Cut the veal into separate pieces about the size of a playing card.   Then cut the prosciutto into similar size pieces.

Place a slice of prosciutto over a slice of veal and fasten a sage leaf to the top using a wooden tooth pick.

Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan.  Brown the saltimbocca quickly on both sides.   Since the meat is thin, browning time is short.  Salt and pepper the meat and add the wine.  Simmer for about 8 minutes.  

Remove the meat from the pan and boil down the liquid by about half.  Pour the pan juices over the meat and serve.

VARIATIONS:  This recipe is often made by rolling up the meat and then inserting the toothpick.  Also, if you like a thicker sauce, throw a pinch of flour into the pan as you boil down the juices.