Serves 6
Notes
This dish can be made pork scaloppine or with chicken breasts. It is simple but has been a favorite among my restaurant’s customers for years.
Ingredients
- 18 thin veal scallops (about 2 ½ pounds)
- salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup al-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 ½ pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2-inch (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon peperoncino (crushed red pepper)
- 10 fresh basil, shredded just before using
Directions
Place the scallops, two at a time between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet or small, heavy saucepan to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Pat the veal scallops dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper. Coat the veal with flour, shaking off the excess.
In a large, preferably non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add as many of the veal pieces as will fit without touching. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove the veal and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining veal.
Add the crushed garlic to the pan and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Pour off the excess oil from the skillet and add the tomatoes, butter and peperoncino. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Tuck the veal scallops into the sauce and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir half of the basil into the skillet and cook 1 minute.
Divide the veal among serving plates. Remove the garlic cloves and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce over the veal and sprinkle some of the remaining basil over each serving.