Saltimbocca alla Romana

Italian for “jump in the mouth”, saltimbocca is a classic Roman dish. Surprisingly though, there are countless variations as it is quite popular in Switzerland, Spain and Greece, but the commonality across all interpretations of this timeless Italian number is the distinct peppery flavour of sage and the richness of prosciutto. Saltimbocca is a dish that will  entice a loud mmm approval at an Italian restaurant, so amazing in its vibrant simplicity you’ll end up charming the waiter to reveal the chef’s recipe. Simple, elegant and delicious!

Ingredients

Serves 4

500g thinly sliced veal cutlets (scallopini)

8-10 fresh sage leaves

150g thinly sliced prosciutto

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

½ cup almonds, chopped (optional, if you like a bit of crunch)

4 tbsp liquid honey

½ cup dry white wine

Method:

1. Put the veal cutlets side by side on a sheet of plastic wrap. Season well, with salt and pepper. Rub each cutlet with a sage leaf, pressing hard on the meat.  Lay a piece of prosciutto on top of each piece of veal and cover with another piece of plastic. Gently flatten the cutlets with a rolling pin or meat mallet, until the pieces are about 1 cm thick and the prosciutto has adhered to the veal.
2. Remove the plastic wrap and place a sage leaf on the top of prosciutto, weave a toothpick in and out of the veal to secure all the layers.
3. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few more sage leaves used for rubbing the meat. Put the veal in the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes flipping the pieces often to crisp up. You can leave the sage leaves in or fish them out at this point as they are quite aromatic.
4. Stir in the chopped almonds (if using), heat them up to let out the almond scent, then add honey and mix well. Add the wine, stirring to bring up all the delicious flavour from the bottom; let the wine cook down for a minute to burn off some of the alcohol. Swirl the pan around, pouring the sauce over the meat, and let simmer for just a minute.  
5. Transfer the saltimbocca’s to a serving platter, take out the toothpicks, and serve immediately.