Veal escalopes Granma Style (with marsala sauce)

New recipe, new story. While writing this blog and thinking about the different meals I’d like to post, I’ve realized that taste and memory, life and food are strongly related. Every recipe that comes to my mind embodies an emotion, an anecdote, a person.

This post is no exception and it is inspired by the legendary Nonna Anna (my Granma), the master of cooking and life who has written my childhood history. This brings up the very deep emotions which still last when you grow up. With her cooking, Nonna held her family together, made us laugh, and offered us moments of conviviality and warmth. On those occasions, she would often cook veal escalopes with marsala sauce (so-called “scaloppine al marsala”). Whenever I cook them, Nonna Anna comes to my mind.
Nonna, a great master of the Roman cooking tradition, would cook them this way:
Ingredients:
4 veal escalopes (buy them at the butcher shop if you can)
flour
1 small piece of butter
1 small cup marsala (Variation: If you don’t have marsala wine, you can use white wine)

1 small cup water
salt & pepper

Dredge the veal in the flour, and shake off excess flour.
Melt a little piece of butter in a large and non-stick pan (slices mustn’t overlap). Saute the slices, turning once, over high heat.

When golden brown on both sides, turn the burner up and add one small cup of marsala. Add salt and pepper. Add one small cup of water and turn down the heat a little. When the liquid is slightly reduced and has become creamy, remove the slices without removing the cooking liquid. Wait two more minutes stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon so that it does not stick. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, turn off, and pour the sauce over the meat. Et Voilà.

If marsala is left over, you can use it to season sliced peaches (adding a little bit of sugar).

Yum to all.