hi there- back again.
the delia recipe boufa06 gave the link to will get you in the ballpark, especially for a beginner. here's some other stuff you may or may not want to pay attention to. by the way, there are so many "variations" that i don't think that there is any 1 "authentic" recipe, so when i say "traditional", take it with a grain of salt.
ingredients:
veal tenderloin is the classic cut used, but i have to say that the best i ever had was from a butterflied cut, a fine scallop from the loin. more on this later if i remember.
prociutto, sliced paper thin
clarified butter or olive oil
fresh sage leaves
marsala
flour
butter
(salt) & pepper
finely minced parsely (if you want)
- about the meat. the traditional meat to use for this dish is veal, which is not to say that you can't substitute pork. try learning on pork, but try it with veal when you feel like you kind of know what you're doing. if you do use pork, and you decide to go with a thicker cut, make sure the inside isn't still raw. juicy is good, raw isn't.
- cut & flatten the meat as per delias recipe but...what i suggest is to sandwich the prociutto and sage leaves between two layers of meat. i think that the delicate sage flavor is kind of ruined being cooked directly as in the delia version. also, don't be too stingy with the sage. hold the "sandwich" together with 2 or 3 toothpicks or so along the perimeter. another variation that i prefer is to cut a pocket into i nice thick veal cutlet, stuff it with the prociutto and sage, and close it with a single toothpick (this version is nice and juicy).
- most recipes say to salt & pepper the veal, but i find the prociutto salty enough ( especially if you're doing the traditional thin cuts), so i only season with a little pepper. then dredge (dust) with flour. knock off any excess flour before sauteing.
- saute both sides. forget about warming the marsala in another pan. when the meat is done, remove it to a plate. if you've gone a bit overboard with the butter or olive oil, pour most of it off. otherwise, add the marsala and swirl it around the pan. it's called deglazing. here is were you can maybe flambe it and make your parents panic. otherwise, let it reduce to about half. turn off the heat, throw in a couple of knobs of butter (a tablespoon or two)(some parsely can go in at the same time) and swirl around the pan till the butter is mostly melted. then add the meat back into the pan, so that it gets a good coating of the sauce. what you want to avoid is actually cooking the meat over the heat in the wine, as per the delia recipe. that will toughen up the meat.
- plate it up the meat (don't forget to take out the toothpicks), pouring some of the remaining sauce either on, under or around the meat. if you didn't add any parsely to the sauce, you can sprinkle some over it now. or just forget it.
- personally, i'd forget the mashed potatoes. maybe some polenta would be nice. or a simple pasta finshed with some red pepper, salt & olive oil.
best of luck
and by the way, i bet if you approached your chef and told him why you wanted it, he just might slip you a little on the side.
