Two years ago we were newlyweds in New Hampshire. We had just been married by our dear friend, Marlene. Dorrie, Jordan, Ruth, and Dave made it up for the festivities, and we ended up at an Irish pub for our mini-reception. It was pretty low-key. A bit unusual for us, I know, but after having to cancel our marriage in San Francisco because of Prop 8, we thought low-key was probably better.
It was a fabulous day with fabulous friends and a day we will never forget. It’s also not the day we will be celebrating as our anniversary – that will continue to be November 23rd.
But officially celebrating or not, I still have to acknowledge it – and what better way than with a fun new dinner?!?
I had a bit of veal in the freezer and La Cucina Italiana came through, yet again.
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of the recipe, because I don’t always have the best luck keeping things contained inside breading, but this came out great!
It also wasn’t that difficult, although it did make for a lot of dirty pots and pans.
Oh well… It was worth it!
Stuffed Veal Scaloppini
adapted from La Cucina Italiana
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ounces prosciutto, diced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 oz veal scallops
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1½ cups dried bread crumbs
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour. Knead together to form a paste. Warm the milk in a small saucepan, and add the butter-flour mixture. Whisk to avoid any lumps, and simmer, stirring often, until thick, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, and transfer to a bowl. Add the prosciutto and Parmigiano, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Season the veal scallops with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and shake off any excess. Add the veal to the skillet, and sauté for 30 seconds on each side. Remove from the skillet, and set aside to cool.
Spread a layer of the filling over each veal cutlet. Place the veal in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the filling is firm.
Remove the veal from the refrigerator, and dredge both sides in flour. Shake off the excess, and dip in the eggs. Coat the veal evenly in the bread crumbs.
In a large skillet with high sides, heat 1 inch of canola oil over medium heat. Add the breaded cutlets, filling side down, and fry until golden. Carefully flip each cutlet, and cook until golden. Drain on paper towels, and serve.
The filling firms up nicely and was very easy to bread.
What started out as small scallops continued to grow. Two of the scallops were more than enough for each plate. Leftovers!!!
The cauliflower steaks are really simple to make, as well.
Simply cut the cauliflower head straight down in about 1″ slices. Place in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and brown on one side. Flip, shred a bit of parmesan cheese on top along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and place in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.
And a faux Potatoes Anna is always an easy way to do potatoes when you don’t want to watch them.
Place a bit of butter in a small pan and allow to melt. Thinly-slice potato and layer in pan. Drizzle a bit more butter in the pan, cover, and cook on stove-top about 15 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking another 5 or so…
All-in-all, a fun meal. And we have Pumpkin Pie for dessert!