Veal piccata is a familiar dish in most Italian American restaurants across America: thin slices of veal briefly sautéed in butter with some lemon juice added to it. In this recipe, however, I added some capers, green olives, and thin slices of lemon. It brings much more body, flavor, and complexity to the dish. Chicken and turkey scaloppine are also delicious prepared this way.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　8 slices veal scaloppine (about 1 1/2 pounds)

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　All-purpose flour, for dredging

　　4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

　　1 lemon, with rind, thinly sliced

　　1/2 cup pitted green olives, cut into strips

　　1/4 cup drained tiny capers in brine

　　1 cup white wine

　　1/4 cup lemon juice

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

Step 1

Lay the veal out on a cutting board, and pound the slices with a meat mallet to an even 1/4-inch thickness (or have your butcher do this for you). Season the veal with the salt.

　　

Step 2

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the flour on a plate, and lightly dredge a batch of veal, tapping off the excess flour. Lay some of the veal in the skillet so the pieces are not touching. Let the veal caramelize on the edges, just a minute or two, then turn and caramelize the other side. Remove to a plate, and repeat with the remaining veal.

　　

Step 3

When all of the veal is out of the skillet, increase the heat to high and add the garlic and lemon slices. Turn the lemon slices to caramelize them all over, then toss in the olives and capers. Let the olives and capers sizzle for a minute, then pour the wine and lemon juice into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil, then add 1 cup hot water. Boil the sauce until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes; whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in pieces. Reduce heat so the sauce is just simmering, and slip the veal back in the pan. Simmer just to heat the veal through, a minute or two, taking care not to overcook.

　　

Step 4

Remove the veal slices to a warm platter. Stir the parsley into the sauce, and pour over the veal.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.