Recipe: Veal Piccata

by John Ryan

Veal Piccata

Serves 2

Here is where cheesecloth squares come in handy. Use one to wrap the lemon so the seeds don't pop out.

This is so easy it almost defies a recipe. Amounts are very approximate and can be altered to taste. Think of the sauce as a hot vinaigrette. The proportions are about the same: 3 parts oil (in this case, melted butter) and 1 part lemon juice.

This goes very fast, so don't start until you are ready to sit down. Serve with a simple rice pilaf and perhaps some blanched sugar peas.

8 ounces veal scallopini
salt, pepper, and flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1) Warm two plates in a low oven.

2) Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and butter. Meanwhile, salt and pepper the veal on both sides, then lay both sides in flour. Shake off excess. When the oil shimmers, add the veal and lightly brown both sides. The meat should be so thin that cooking it a minute on each side cooks it through. (For several slices of veal, you may have to do this in batches.) Set the cooked veal on the plates in the oven.

3) Melt the 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan. When the butter is melted and stopped foaming, squeeze the lemon into the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan and pour this simple sauce over the veal. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

A simple variation is to throw in a tablespoon of capers with the lemon juice.