Veal Scallopini Recipe
Written by CMP on February 22, 2009There was a time in my career when my career didn't take up nearly as much time as it does now.
In those days, the booming internet economy allowed me to work from home as an independent contractor, which in turn gave me all sorts of freedoms with my schedule. I would shop daily for the food I wanted to cook that night - bread from the bakery, meat from the butcher, and produce from the green grocer. It was nice.
Those days also allowed me to develop a Columbo addiction. AMC used to show 1-2 episodes a day, and I would plan my work-load around the TV schedule. For those of you who are fans, you may recall one episode where the murderer is a restuarant owner. At the end, when the jig is up (as it always is), Columbo reveals his logic - and thus the culprit's downfall - as he prepares a veal scallopini dish for him. He alternates between explaining the recipe and the clues he uncovered, while the murderer marvels at both his detective and culinary work.
Those were the days.
So I don't quite remember how Columbo prepared that veal, and I'm not much of a slueth, but here's my take on Veal Scallopini.
Ingredients
- 10-12 Pieces of Veal Scallopini
- 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 Lb Prosciutto
- 6-7 Sun Dried Tomatoes, cut into strips
- 4 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Shallot, diced
- 15 Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbs Unsalted Butter
- 2 Tsp Fresh Thyme
- Toothpicks (not for eating...)
Combine the flour and black pepper. Dredge each piece of the veal in the flour mixture on both sides, and shake to remove excess. Now, lay each piece of the veal flat on a cutting board. Onto each, lay one piece of the prosciutto, and 2-3 pieces of the sun dried tomatoes. Roll up the scallopini and use 1-2 toothpicks each to hold it together.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbs of the olive oil, then brown the scallopini well, about 2-3 minutes a side.
Remove the scallopini from the pan then add the remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil and the shallot. Saute the shallot until it just turns translucent (about 1-2 minutes), then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice while they're cooking.
Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken stock. Using the back of a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any remaining brown bits. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and add the scallopini back to the pan. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes - turning the scallopini 2-3 times during the cooking.
Remove the scallopini from the pan and place on a serving plate. Add the butter to the sauce that remains in the pan and whisk till melted and well combined. Whisk in the fresh thyme, cook for 30 seconds more, then pour the sauce over the scallopini and serve.
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