Some dishes are so simple you don’t really need a recipe to make them. But that doesn’t mean they’re not delicious. Italian cuisine is full of such recipes. This one takes less than five minutes to prepare and is a classic recipe that you can find in restaurants all over Italy (and in fact, in Italian restaurants all over the world).
Veal scaloppine are quickly browned, the pan is deglazed with marsala (a fortified wine from Sicily), and the scaloppine are returned to the pan briefly to finish cooking them and coat them with the sauce. That’s all, and it’s remarkably good for such a simple recipe. Here’s how to do it.
Ingredients
For 2 servings
2 veal scaloppine of about 100-125 grams (4 oz) each, pounded thin by your butcher
80 ml (1/3 cup) dry marsala
flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp clarified butter or a 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil
Preparation
Pat the scaloppine dry with paper towels and season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
Dredge through flour on both sides, shaking off excess flour. I used Italian flour “improved for frying”, which means that it’s part rice flour. This will absorb less fat. Regular flour will do very well, too.
Heat clarified butter or butter and olive oil in a frying pan. Add the veal and brown quickly over high heat on both sides, 45-60 seconds per side.
Remove the veal from the pan and deglaze with the marsala. Cook over high heat until reduced by half.
Lower the heat and return the veal to the pan, coating it with the sauce on both sides.
Serve immediately on warm plates with the remaining sauce. Buon appetito!
Stefan's Gourmet Blog 
KISS – Keep It Simple Scaloppine.
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🙂
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Very nice. I have steered clear of veal because of how it used to be reared. Perhaps it’s time to have a look…
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I use so-called ‘pink’ veal (rather than white), which means it comes from ‘naturally reared’ animals.
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I have found Pork Loin to be a great substitute. Sliced at an angle and pounded out (so tender, just use a rolling pin) to be a great substitute. The texture is perfect, although it does lack slightly in flavor compared to good veal. I use it for al marsala or al piccata.
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Good idea. Chicken breast also works.
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Yum! I haven’t made this for years, thanks for the reminder
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Simple but very tasty dish. Is there a non-alcohol Marsala? Or, is there any substitute w/o alcohol?
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I don’t think non-alcohol Marsala is for sale, but it is possible. The amount of alcohol in the finished dish will be negligible. If you want to be really sure, you could make your own non-alcohol Marsala (or ask someone to make it for you) by bringing Marsala to a boil, lighting the alcohol with a match and allowing it to burn off. Then let it cool and it’s ready to use. You can also use that to make fabulous tiramisù 🙂
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Thank you so~ much Stefan. I will definitely do it, because there are several recipes I like to use it for, including tiramisu! Hugs, Fae.
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Great to hear! Marsala has a unique taste that will make your dishes something special.
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Turkey is my least favorite poultry meat but you can sometimes buy breast that has been pre-sliced into scallopine… they work very nicely here (and for picatta too).
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Marsala is very a versatile ingredient. From your savory veal scaloppine to the sweet dessert of zabaglione. Have you ever made zabaglione?
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I have, but I haven’t done a post on zabaglione yet. I should, so thanks for reminding me 🙂
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Perfect!
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🙂
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Simple is best and this dish is all the proof you need, Stefan. Well done!
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Thanks, John 🙂
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I love veal, Stefan, and this is one of my favorite veal recipes. Once again, spot on technique. Out of curiosity, have you ever used cake flour for your simple bread ins such as this dish? Cake flour has less proteins, ergo, less glutens and forms a crispier crust, at least in my opinion. 🙂
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Thanks, Richard. You are right about cake flour and I have tried it, but in this recipe the crust is not crispy since it is soaked in Marsala sauce. I got the crispiest crust with deep fried chicken when I used baking powder and corn starch. (You may remember the post: https://stefangourmet.com/2012/12/16/crispy-deep-fried-chicken/)
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