Classic Saltimbocca with White Wine Sauce

Saltimbocca translates from Italian to jumps in the mouth and the dish earns the name. Thin pounded veal scaloppine gets topped with salty prosciutto and fragrant sage, pinned with a toothpick, then quickly seared in butter. The wine pan sauce takes thirty seconds to deglaze the fond and turn into a glossy sauce.

Use properly thin veal scaloppine, ideally pounded to about a quarter inch thick. Too thick and the meat overcooks before the prosciutto crisps and the sage releases its perfume. Most butchers will pound the slices for you on request.

Press the sage leaf and prosciutto firmly against the veal so they cook as one piece. The traditional Roman technique places the prosciutto-side down first into the butter, browning the cured meat into a crackling crust while the veal cooks gently on top.

Finish with a quick pour of dry white wine into the hot pan and reduce by half. The sauce should be thin and silky, not a thick gravy, just enough to coat the veal and carry the prosciutto-sage-butter flavor.

Chef Tips

• Use fresh sage leaves if possible, the dried version works but lacks the bright resinous note
• Pat the veal dry before cooking, wet meat steams instead of browns
• Cook in batches so the pan stays hot, crowding drops the temperature and the meat poaches in butter
• Pinot Grigio or Vermentino are classic Italian wine choices, dry not sweet
• Serve immediately, veal turns tough as it cools

Variations

• Use thinly pounded chicken or turkey cutlets in place of veal for a budget version
• Add a squeeze of lemon to the finishing sauce for brightness
• Stir a knob of cold butter into the wine reduction off-heat for a richer mounted sauce