Veal Saltimbocca, plus Prosciutto and Sage

Veal Saltimbocca – veal cutlets wrapped in crispy, salty prosciutto and fragrant sage leaves. A classic Roman dish that's pan-fried until they're juicy, tender and incredibly good. A simple and elegant meal that's great served with potatoes, asparagus or salad.

What does Saltimbocca Mean?

Saltimbocca translates from Italian as 'jump in the mouth' and it couldn't have a better name. This veal saltimbocca is good and for so many reasons:

• It's fast: it's so fast that you should probably prep and start cooking your sides first. The veal only needs to be cooked for 4-5 minutes on each side to be cooked through.
• It's easy: there's nothing to making this recipe, bash your veal cutlets or ask your butcher to do it. Then all you need to do is wrap them in prosciutto, sage and fry!
• It's impressive: it's so elegant looking and is sure to impress your guests (or yourself) with both look and taste.
• It's good: veal itself has a beautiful flavour but add in some crispy, salty prosciutto, fragrant sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon….do we need to say more?

We will never stop saying that the simple recipes are always best because it's SO true and this veal saltimbocca is a prime example of a simple recipe made with few ingredients that tastes good. We mean it's so good!

No matter if you're serving this for a romantic night in, a special occasion or because you want something a little extra special (like because it's Friday night) it's sure to impress and you can easily prep it in advance to make things even easier, win!

Why You Should Pound the Meat

Pounding the meat not only ensures it will cook faster, it tenderizes it making it soft, tender and good. If your meat is too thick you'll need to cook it for longer and doing so at a high heat (with this type of meat) will make it too tough and unappetising so we always recommend starting the cooking process with veal cutlets at 1/4 inch thick.

How to Make Veal Saltimbocca – Step By Step

Place the veal cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap (cling film) and gently beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until 1/4 of an inch thin (photos 1 & 2).

Place a slice of prosciutto over each cutlet followed by a sage leaf then secure everything together using a small wooden skewer (photos 3 & 4).

Dip the cutlets in flour on each side and shake gently to get rid of any excess flour. Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet and fry on each side until slightly crispy and browned. Remove from the pan and add the wine to deglaze the pan (photos 5-8).

Scrap all the brown bits and stir until reduced by half, return the veal to the pan to heat through then serve.

Can we Use Chicken Instead?

Absolutely, let's face it veal can be a little expensive if you're cooking for a large group and it can also be hard to find in some places so using chicken is an easy alternative, you could also use turkey or pork.

The difference is that obviously, it won't have the same flavour as veal BUT it will still be good and work great as an alternative. Follow the instructions as you would for veal and your chicken version will be solid!

Serving Suggestions

Veal saltimbocca is great served with roast potatoes mashed asparagus broccolini any grilled veggies or even a fresh salad. The choice is yours, the great thing about it is that you can make it a light meal or turn it into something comforting with a big pile of creamy mash.

Top Tips for Making Veal Saltimbocca

• Pound the meat to tenderise it otherwise it could turn out a little tough
• You can use white wine or marsala to make the sauce
• Dredging the cutlets in flour gives them a good coating and also adds a little substance to the sauce but you can also make this recipe without flour
• If prepping in advance don't dredge in flour, wait until last minute to do that or it'll soak into the meat and create a weird texture
• Be careful not to overcook or the meat will toughen. Since the veal is pounded thin it doesn't take long to cook (around 4 minutes each side)
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brings out the flavours and cuts through the rich and salty flavours so don't skip it if possible
• Chicken, turkey or pork can all be used as good substitutes to veal
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and eaten cold or reheated until hot all the way through

Ingredients

Makes 4 -6 servings

• 6 veal cutlets (escalopes)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour ((80g))
• 6 slices prosciutto
• 6 large sage leaves
• 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 6 toothpicks (to secure the cutlets)

Method

1. Place the veal cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap (cling film) and gently beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until 1/4 of an inch thin.

2. Place a slice of prosciutto over each cutlet followed by a sage leaf. Secure everything together using a small wooden skewer.

3. Dip the cutlets in flour on each side and shake gently to get rid of any excess flour. Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet and fry on each side until slightly crispy and browned. Remove from the pan and add the wine to deglaze the pan.

4. Scrap all the brown bits and stir until reduced by half, return the veal to the pan to heat through then serve.

Kitchen notes

• Pound the meat to tenderise it otherwise it could turn out a little tough
• You can use white wine or marsala to make the sauce
• Dredging the cutlets in flour gives them a good coating and also adds a little substance to the sauce but you can also make this recipe without flour
• If prepping in advance don't dredge in flour, wait until last minute to do that or it'll soak into the meat and create a weird texture
• Be careful not to overcook or the meat will toughen. Since the veal is pounded thin it doesn't take long to cook (around 4 minutes each side)
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brings out the flavours and cuts through the rich and salty flavours so don't skip it if possible
• Chicken, turkey or pork can all be used as good substitutes to veal
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and eaten cold or reheated until hot all the way through