Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (12 page)

Veal Scaloppini à la Patsy

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This was Grandma Concetta’s favorite dish. It is a flavorful combination of particularly Italian ingredients—veal, prosciutto, mozzarella, and Marsala—melding together into an incredible meal. Serve a simple green vegetable on the side—steamed asparagus would be nice.

⅓ cup olive oil

1¼ pounds veal scaloppini, cut into 8 pieces, pounded with a flat meat pounder to ⅛-inch thickness

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup
Chicken Stock

½ cup
Quick Brown Sauce

⅓ cup dry Marsala wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices (not paper-thin) prosciutto, cut into 5 by 3-inch pieces

8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 5 by 3-inch pieces

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1 ounce)

1.
Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Spread the flour on a large plate near the stove. Working in batches, coat the veal in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the veal to another plate.

2.
Meanwhile, position the broiler rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler on high.

3.
Pour out the oil from the skillet, wipe out the skillet with paper towels, and return to medium-high heat. Add the stock, brown sauce, Marsala, butter, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the veal in the sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened lightly and the veal looks opaque in the middle when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 3 minutes.

4.
Spread out the scaloppini in the pan (they can overlap slightly), and top each with a piece of prosciutto, followed by a piece of mozzarella, and then sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. Put the skillet in the broiler and broil until the mozzarella has melted, about 2 minutes.

5.
Transfer the scaloppini to a serving platter and tent with aluminum foil. Boil the pan juices over high heat until they thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the scaloppini, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.

Stuffed Veal Spiedini

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This is another family recipe that ended up on our menu after years of enjoying them at home. They come from my mother-in-law Josephine. Spiedini is the Italian name for kebabs, and are usually the typical marinated chunks of meat. In this case, scaloppini are stuffed with bread crumb and provolone filling, rolled, and skewered with bay leaves. Give them a try.

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 small yellow onions, 1 finely chopped and 2 cut lengthwise into sixths to make 12 wedges

3 cups
Chicken Stock
or reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth

12 dried bay leaves

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups
Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 pounds veal scaloppini, cut into 12 pieces, pounded with a flat meat pounder to ⅛-inch thickness

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

4 long metal grilling skewers (see Note)

1.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the stock and 8 of the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan. Simmer to infuse the stock with the bay leaves, about 12 minutes. At the same time, cover the remaining 4 bay leaves with boiling water in a small bowl and set aside to soak.

2.
Whisk the tomato paste and parsley into the simmering stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the bread crumbs and mix until the mixture is thick enough to form a ball. Carefully remove bay leaves, rinse them under cold running water, and set aside. Cover and refrigerate the bread crumb mixture until cool, at least 30 minutes. Shape the mixture into 12 equal balls. Drain the water-soaked bay leaves.

3.
Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet. Lightly season the scaloppini with the salt and pepper. For each veal roll, place a scaloppini on the work surface with a short side facing you. Place a bread crumb ball on the scaloppini and spread evenly to cover. Top with a scant 3 tablespoons of the provolone. Roll the scaloppini forward to make a tight packet, tucking in the sides as you roll to secure the filling. Transfer, seam side down, to the prepared baking sheet.

4.
For each spiedini, on a metal grilling skewer, alternate 3 veal rolls, 3 onion wedges, and 3 bay leaves. Press the ingredients snugly together and return to the baking sheet. (The spiedini can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.)

5.
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

6.
Brush the veal spiedini with oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn, sprinkle generously with the remaining 1 cup bread crumbs, continue to bake until the bread-crumb topping has browned, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

NOTE:
Long metal skewers, at least 12 inches long, are best for grilling because they grip the meat much better than bamboo skewers. They are sturdy and reusable. Inexpensive metal skewers can be found at just about every supermarket, or look for fancier ones at kitchenware stores. If you must use bamboo skewers, you may want to use two, with a little space between them, for each spiedini and provide extra support. Soak the skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes, then drain them before using. To keep the wood from burning, wrap the exposed ends in a small piece of aluminum foil as protection.

^◆
Roasting Red Peppers
^◆

Red peppers have a thick skin that is usually removed before eating. Roasting the peppers in the high heat of the broiler blisters the skin for easy peeling and cooks the peppers at the same time.

Position a broiler rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler on high. Broil the peppers, turning them occasionally, until the skin is blackened and blistered, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not burn through the pepper’s flesh. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag and close the bag. Let them stand for 10 to 15 minutes until cool. Using a small knife, remove the skin, cut out the stems, and discard the seeds.

Osso Bucco

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This rich and succulent veal stew is beloved by customers who know the truth of the proverb, “The sweetest meat is nearest the bone.” And the bone marrow isn’t so bad, either! Everyone at Patsy’s remembers the time a customer ordered what he thought was his favorite veal dish. When this big chunk of meat arrived instead of delicate veal cutlets, the guy complained, “He forgot to take the bone out of my veal!” It was a case when another ancient adage, “The customer is always right,” was hard to practice. Serve this with the
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
.