Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles
This meal combines two wonderful dishes, Saltimbocca alla Romana and mirabelle compote! Both are very high on my list of summer favourites.
Let's start with the "Roman schnitzel", the saltimbocca, or Salt' im bocca! in the Roman dialect. It means Jump in the mouth! and that's how I feel when I have a plate of these little escalopes in front of me. The combination of veal, smoky, salty prosciutto and aromatic sage is so perfect that the first bite of it explains why this dish became so famous all over the world! There are different approaches to the preparation, some like to roll them, fold them just once or keep them flat like a schnitzel. This is how I prefer them, but the composition of the three flavours, veal, prosciutto and sage, always stays the same. Some recipes recommend Coppa di Parma but my favourite is thinly cut Tyrolean prosciutto with the right balance of smokiness and saltiness.
To me, late summer is the time for fruits, peaches, plums, figs, berries and mirabelles. Sometimes I cook some carrot slices to serve with my saltimbocca, still crunchy and sweetened with honey and basil. However, at this time of the year I prefer fruit for some of my savory dishes, like sweet mirabelles ripened under the sun of Tuscany. When we used to go on holiday close to Florence as a child, I fell in love with a mirabelle tree next to the house and its tasty crop! I could eat buckets of them!
They're at the peak of their season at the moment and I buy them every week as long as I can get them at the market. I love them, when they are ripe and golden they are sweeter than plums, a bit like honey. They make a wonderful compote too. I cook them for just 1 minute as I don't like to turn them into a mousse, I leave them chunky. I refine the compote with some Balsamic vinegar and a little cinnamon, it's delicious together with the saltimbocca!
Saltimbocca alla Romana with Balsamic Mirabelles
For 2 people you need
veal escalopes, 300g / 10.5 ounces, each about 100g / 3.5 ounces
Tyrolean prosciutto or Coppa di Parma, 3 thin slices big enough to cover the escalopes
sage leaves 15
plain flour
olive oil
butter 2 tablespoons
marsala or vermouth to deglaze the meat
pepper
Place the escalopes between cling film and flatten them with your fist until they are around 5mm / 1/4" thick and season lightly with pepper (no salt as the prosciutto adds enough saltiness). Dust one side with flour, put 3 sage leaves on the other side and cover them with a slice of prosciutto, pressing it onto the meat.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and fry the escalopes (start with the side with the prosciutto) together with the remaining sage leaves for about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side on high-medium temperature. Move the meat and sage to a plate, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a splash of the marsala, simmer the sauce for 30 seconds and take off the heat.
Serve the escalopes with the sauce, crisp sage and mirabelle compote.
For the mirabelle compote
mirabelle, pitted, 250g / 9 ounces (or plums)
balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons
sugar 1/4 teaspoon
a pinch of cinnamon
water 3 teaspoons
In a sauce pan, bring the ingredients to the boil, close with a lid and cook for 1 minute medium heat. Season with vinegar, sugar and cinnamon to taste.
