Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [56]
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Filling
¼ pound sliced prosciutto, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
⅓ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt to taste
8 veal cutlets cut from top round, about 1½ pounds, pounded thin
Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely minced yellow onion
¼ cup finely minced carrot
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry Italian Marsala wine
2 tablespoons double concentrated Italian tomato paste, diluted in 1½ cups chicken broth or water
Salt to taste
Prepare filling: In a small bowl combine prosciutto, parsley, garlic, Parmigiano and egg; season very lightly with salt. (Keep in mind that prosciutto and ⅓ cup Parmigiano are already a bit salty.) Mix thoroughly until ingredients are combined into a nice, moist mixture. If mixture is too firm, add half of an additional beaten egg. If it is too soft add some more Parmigiano.
Place veal slices on a work surface, spread 1 scant tablespoon of filling over each slice, leaving a 1-inch border all around, and roll up veal loosely in bundles. Secure each bundle with 1 or 2 wooden picks and set aside until ready to use.
Prepare sauce: Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until mixture is light golden and soft, about 5 minutes.With a slotted spoon transfer vegetables to a dish.
Add remaining butter to skillet. Coat veal bundles lightly with flour and add to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, until veal is light golden on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
Return vegetables to pan and increase heat to high. Add Marsala wine and stir quickly, to pick up brown particles attached to bottom of skillet. When wine is reduced by about half, add diluted tomato paste. As soon as sauce comes to a simmer, partially cover pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring and basting veal occasionally, until veal is tender and sauce has a medium-thick consistency and an intense reddish color, 15 to 18 minutes.
Remove wooden picks, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve veal topped by a few tablespoons of the sauce. (The dish can be prepared completely a few hours ahead. Reheat gently before serving.)
FILET OF BEEF WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
Filetto di Manzo all’Aceto Balsamico
In the cooking of Modena and Reggio-Emilia, balsamic vinegar plays a very fundamental role. This is only natural, because it is in these two cities that most of traditional balsamic vinegar is made. A few drops of balsamic on a roast or a perfectly grilled or sautéed steak can enhance simple preparations to new highs. Keep in mind that the older the balsamic is, the better your dish will taste.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
8 (½-inch-thick) slices filet mignon (about 2 pounds total), lightly pounded
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup Meat Broth, page 22, or low-sodium canned beef broth
½ cup dry red wine
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar, or 2 to 3 tablespoons artisan-made aceto balsamico tradizionale
In a large sauté pan that can accommodate beef slices comfortably, heat oil over high heat. When oil is hot, flour slices lightly and add to pan without crowding. (If necessary brown meat in two batches.) Season with salt and cook until meat is golden brown on both sides, and pink and juicy on the inside, 4 to 5 minutes.Transfer meat to a platter and keep warm in a warm oven.
Discard some of the fat in skillet and put it back on medium heat. Add butter, broth and wine and bring to a gentle boil. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping bottom of pan to pick up delicious bits and pieces attached to it.When sauce is reduced by about half and has a medium-thick consistency, add balsamic vinegar.