Friday Recipe

I never learned how to make a proper veal piccata until recently. Garlic, butter, white wine, lemon, capers – how tough could it be? Not very. My wing-it version was pretty tasty.

Now it’s better.

Best Damn Veal Piccata Ever

We’re going to make this for two people, because there’s something romantic about eating baby animal flesh that’s been pounded really thin.

You’ll need:

3 or 4 slices (12-16 ounces) veal scaloppini. (Yes, you could use chicken breasts. But why?)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
1/2 cup veal stock. (Expensive, hard to find, and so worth it. Just use chicken stock or broth if you don’t want the bother.)
1/2 cup dry sherry. That’s right – dry sherry.
Juice of one lemon, or 1.5 if it isn’t very ripe.
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced.
3 tablespoons capers, drained.
3 tablespoons butter.
Some fresh parsley, chopped.
Some lemon zest.
Some flour.
Some fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Salt & pepper.

Pat the veal dry, and dredge it in flour seasoned with salt & pepper. Turn the oven on “warm” and have a baking sheet handy.

In a large skillet, bring the olive oil and 1/3rd of the butter to medium-high heat. (The butter isn’t part of the classic recipe, but I find it helps brown the veal better.) Brown the veal for about one minute or so on each side, turning once. Place on the baking sheet and stick in the oven.

Drain the oil out of the pan, and return to the stove. Saut