Description
Ina Garten’s veal piccata delivers Italian elegance with tender medallions seared to golden perfection. Lemon, capers, and white wine create a tangy sauce that elevates this classic dish, inviting you to savor each restaurant-quality bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 4 veal scallops, about 0.75 pound (340 grams), pounded to a thickness of 0.125-inch
Dry Ingredients:
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Liquid and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 ½ tablespoons (22 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) butter (divided)
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) dry white wine
- ½ cup (118 milliliters) chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons), or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves (optional)
- Parsley sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Transform the veal scallops by creating a delicate coating: Blend all-purpose flour (120 grams / ), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a shallow ceramic dish, ensuring an even, light dusting on each delicate cutlet.
- Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with neutral cooking oil, allowing the surface to become intensely hot without smoking, then introduce unsalted butter to create a golden searing environment.
- Gently place the flour-coated veal into the sizzling pan, allowing each side to caramelize for approximately 1 minute until achieving a rich, golden-brown complexion; transfer the perfectly seared cutlets onto a warm serving platter.
- Deglaze the skillet with crisp white wine, using a wooden spatula to liberate the flavorful browned fragments clinging to the pan’s surface; reduce the liquid by half to concentrate its essence.
- Incorporate chicken stock, minced garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and briny capers into the reduction, allowing the sauce to simmer and thicken for 5 minutes, developing a robust, layered flavor profile.
- Enhance the sauce’s richness by incorporating the remaining butter and finely chopped fresh parsley, stirring until the butter melts completely and creates a silky, glossy texture.
- Return the veal scallops to the pan, gently nestling them into the aromatic sauce and allowing them to warm through for an additional minute, ensuring the flavors harmonize beautifully.
- Elegantly plate the veal piccata, garnishing with additional parsley sprigs for a touch of vibrant color and fresh herbaceous notes, serving immediately to preserve the dish’s optimal temperature and texture.
Notes
- Thin and Trim: Pound the veal to an even thickness, ensuring quick and uniform cooking that guarantees a tender, perfectly prepared meal.
- Sizzling Start: Heat your pan until it’s screaming hot, creating a beautiful golden-brown crust that locks in the veal’s natural flavors and juiciness.
- Wine Magic: Deglaze the pan with wine after cooking, scraping up those delectable browned bits that transform an ordinary sauce into a restaurant-worthy masterpiece.
- Zesty Balance: Add lemon juice gradually, tasting as you go to achieve that bright, tangy flavor that complements the rich veal without overwhelming it.
- Quick Finale: Return the veal to the pan for just a minute, allowing the flavors to meld together while keeping the meat incredibly tender and succulent.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg