This is the quintessential Italian American dish: from the 1950s through the 1980s, every Italian restaurant had it on the menu. It is still one of America’s favorite dishes and is easy to make. The important part of the recipe is to begin cooking the meat and mushrooms separately, then combine them at the end so the flavors blend. Marsala is the special ingredient in this dish. Around the city of Marsala, Malvasia, a varietal of a very aromatic grape, grew in abundance. Wine has been made from this varietal for centuries, and the English took note of it and began importing it. The history of England and the New World needs no retelling, and this is most likely how Marsala made it across the pond. When the Sicilian immigrants settled in America, and rediscovered it, it was a natural reunion.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　6 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　All-purpose flour, for dredging

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

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　6 large leaves fresh sage

　　1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, button, shiitake, etc.), thickly sliced

　　2 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

　　1/2 cup Marsala

　　1 cup hot chicken stock (see page 40)

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

Step 1

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium heat. Shake the flour onto a rimmed plate. Season the veal all over with the salt, and dredge lightly in the flour, tapping off the excess. Add the veal to the skillet, moving it around so it all fits, and cook until browned and caramelized on the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the veal to a plate.

　　

Step 2

Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sage leaves to the skillet. Once the sage is sizzling, add the mushrooms and shallots. Add about 2 tablespoons of the Marsala to get the mushrooms cooking. Cook and stir until the mushrooms have released their liquid and all the liquid has cooked away, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the rest of the Marsala and the stock. Bring to a rapid simmer, and cook until the sauce has reduced by half, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in pieces.

　　

Step 3

Return the veal to the sauce, and simmer until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.

　　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.