These rolls take some time and require a bit of assembly—not that there’s anything especially challenging—so I always feel like if I’m going to bother with them, I might as well make a big batch and double the amounts here. In any case, you can prepare the rolls in advance and cook them just before serving. I cook the rolls in a mixture of stock and wine (you could use either instead of both), but many cooks use a light tomato sauce for simmering, like Fast, Fresh Tomato Sauce (page 606). The filling can be varied, too: substitute ground pork or pork sausage for the mushrooms or use a bit of mozzarella instead of or along with the Parmesan. Other cuts of meat you can use here: cutlets of chicken, turkey, pork, or even beef (see Negima, page 102).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 medium onion, finely chopped

　　2 tablespoons bread crumbs, preferably fresh (page 580)

　　1 tablespoon chopped garlic

　　1/2 pound chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed (discard shiitake stems or reserve for stock) and roughly chopped

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 tablespoons pine nuts

　　1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　8 thin slices veal from the leg (scaloppine), pounded if necessary to less than 1/4 inch thick

　　3 tablespoons butter

　　1/2 cup dry white wine plus 1/2 cup beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or 1 cup of either

　　

Step 1

Put half the oil in a large skillet or casserole, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it wilts, about 5 minutes. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, mushrooms, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and become soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the pine nuts, marjoram, parsley, and Parmesan. Cool slightly.

　　

Step 2

Put a portion of the filling into the center of each of the pieces of veal and roll up; seal with a toothpick and season the outside of the rolls with some salt and pepper. Put the remaining oil in the skillet and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Turn the heat to medium-high. Brown the veal rolls quickly, just a couple of minutes per side (it may be easier to do this in batches), adjusting the heat so the meat browns without burning.

　　

Step 3

With all the veal in the pan, add the wine and/or stock and let it bubble away for a moment. Turn the heat to low, then cover the pan and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the veal is tender, about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Transfer the veal to a warm platter; if the pan juices are thin, raise the heat to high and reduce, stirring, until less than 1/2 cup of liquid remains. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in the remaining butter. Pour this over the veal rolls, garnish with parsley, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.