Veal Scaloppine With Mushrooms

Veal Scaloppine with Mushrooms!

Many years ago, my family was in New York visiting my sister’s family.  It happened to be our wedding anniversary and my sister and brother-in-law offered to babysit for us.  This was an awesome offer!  Not only would we get to have an evening out by ourselves (a rare event with little kids), but we would have the exciting opportunity to go to a New York Restaurant!  Now we did have nice restaurants in Chicago at the time – La Misada in the Hyatt Regency for example, but a fancy New York Restaurant was considered a big deal…not to mention the free babysitting (thanks Debby & Arthur!!).  I’m not sure if anyone noticed the skid marks on the street that we left peeling away from their house, but away we went to the City.  We ended up going to a restaurant called Tevere 84 – so named because it was on 84^th Street.  So exciting!!   Aside from exclusively grown up conversation, one of the big draws of going out to a new restaurant is seeing all the new and interesting items on the menu (and not having to cook and clean up the meal).  We weren’t disappointed.  One of the things we ended up ordering was a dish called Veal Scaloppine With Mushrooms.  I don’t remember the other dishes (it was a really long time ago) but this dish was so amazing we never forgot it.  It was one of those melt in your mouth, flavorful, “Oh My Gosh” dishes that you eat slowly to savor every bite.  Although we weren’t able to actually get the recipe from the chef, we did find out what scaloppine meant (we were food novices).  We expected some romantic Itallian translation - “Thin and Pounded” we were told by the waiter.  How fun!  This is meat you get to pound until it’s thin and tender.  We did our best to take special note of what we thought the ingredients were. Then I went home, looked up a bunch of veal recipes and did a pretty good job of imitating the recipe.  Luckily here in Chicago we have a great world renown butcher, Romanian, that has great cuts of different kinds of meat.  I was able to get high quality veal cutlets there.  I then proceeded to pound the veal with a kitchen mallet between sheets of plastic.  I lightly floured the veal with seasoned flour and fried it until it was browned on both sides.  I then sautéd mushrooms and garlic in the same pan (getting the great veal flavor infused in the mushrooms), returned the veal back to the pan with some of the flavored flour, wine, and chicken stock.  Fifteen minutes later…Veal Scaloppine!! 

Now my boys are big enough to be babysitters, and I’m not sure that the restaurant is even still around.  I’m sure we will talk about it at our Shabbat table tonight while eating our version of Veal Scaloppine With Mushrooms, and reminisce about that special anniversary evening so long ago.  Thank G-d our next anniversary is just around the corner…I think it’s time to go back to New York for a little inspiration (hint, hint)!

VEAL SCALOPPINE WITH MUSHROOMS       

1          pound               veal cutlets (3 large)

1          cup                   all-purpose flour          

1          tablespoon        onion powder

1          tablespoon        garlic powder

1          teaspoon          paprika

1          teaspoon          salt (optional)

½         teaspoon          black pepper

1          cup                   wine (white or red depending upon your mood)

1          cup                   chicken stock

1          tablespoon        minced garlic

8          ounces              white mushrooms, thinly sliced

2          tablespoons      canola oil

Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Using a kitchen mallet, pound each veal cutlet until it is thinner and larger.  You can cut each cutlet in half to make 6 smaller cutlets.  In a shallow baking dish, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt (if using), and pepper.  Set aside one tablespoon of the flour mixture to be used later.  Dredge each cutlet in the flour mixture until it is well coated.   Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Fry the veal cutlets in batches over medium/high heat until they are golden brown on each side.  Remove cutlets from the skillet and set aside in a separate baking dish or plate.  Place the mushrooms and garlic in the same skillet the veal was fried in, and sauté until the mushrooms are soft. Reduce the skillet heat to low.  Add the wine and the chicken stock.  Immediately blend in the reserved flour mixture stirring until there are no lumps.  Return the cutlets to the skillet, and increase heat to medium.  Maintain medium heat until the liquid is simmering.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.  Serve the Veal Scaloppine hot with the pan sauce and mushrooms.  Wait for the applause!

Note:

1. You can use either white or red wine for this dish.  I have made it both ways.  The red wine gives the dish a bolder flavor, which I prefer.  This time, in the photos, I made it with white wine for a milder flavor – and it still got rave review.  The choice is yours!
2. The salt is optional in this recipe.  Using the salt will depend upon if you use reduced sodium chicken broth, or a full sodium broth, and personal preference.

The key ingredient: Veal!

It's Scaloppine time - Thin and POUNDED!

(note the large kitchen mallet!)

 Flour and spices mixed together...

 Coat the cutlets in the flour...

 Heat the oil in the skillet.  

Add the cutlets and fry until golden

brown on each side...so pretty!

 Don't forget the second batch!

It's mushroom & garlic time!!

Fry them until the mushrooms are soft...yum!

 Now add the wine and broth,

and return the cutlets to the pan to simmer...

 So melt in your mouth good!!!

And you made it yourself!! Way to go!!

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