This classic Italian-American dish is a prime example of a versatile preparation—you’ll find Marsala recipes made with veal, pork, chicken, and even steak. Not surprisingly, the key is the Marsala wine, which for centuries has been one of the prized treasures of Sicily. It’s a fortified wine—like Portugal’s port or Spain’s sherry—and can be either sweet, which is the type used for cooking, or dry.

　　

Ingredients

4 main-course servings

　　8 veal cutlets (about 3 ounces each)

　　1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　4 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 large shallot, finely chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　4 ounces assorted mushrooms, sliced

　　1/2 cup sweet Marsala

　　1 sprig of fresh rosemary

　　3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

　　

Step 1

Sprinkle the veal with 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 of the veal cutlets and cook until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the veal to a plate. Add another tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining 4 cutlets. Set the cutlets aside.

　　

Step 2

In the same skillet, melt 1 more tablespoon of butter, then add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add the Marsala and rosemary sprig, and simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Working in batches, return the veal to the skillet and cook just until heated through, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Discard the rosemary sprig and stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the sauce. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Using tongs, transfer the veal to dinner plates. Spoon the sauce over the veal and serve.

　　Cooks' Note

　　When buying veal, make sure it is either creamy white or light pink, because it has the mildest flavor and is the freshest.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.