Serves 2
Notes
All of the chopping and prep for this dish can be done ahead. Once that’s out of the way, it’s just a few minutes in the pan for a flavorful, elegant meal for two. Make sure your veal is sliced thin enough to cook quickly here so it doesn’t toughen – it should be sliced and pounded to less than ¼ inch thick. You may also use thinly sliced and pounded boneless skinless chicken breast or pork loin.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the scaloppine:
- 2 small lemons
- 12 ounces veal scaloppine (6 pieces)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 10 large green olives (preferably Cerignola), cut away from the pit in wide strips (about ½ cup)
- ¼ cup capers in brine, drained
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Ingredients for the spinach:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 1 small bunch spinach, stemmed (about 8 packed cups)
- Kosher salt
- Peperoncino
Directions
Squeeze the juice from 1 ½ of the lemons and reserve. Lay the remaining lemon half flat side down and cut into very thin slices with a paring knife. Remove the pits and set the lemon slices aside.
Season the scaloppine with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate. Dredge the scaloppini in flour to coat both sides lightly and tap off the excess flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is foaming.
Add as many of the scaloppine as will fit without touching and cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining scaloppine, adding a little more olive oil and butter if the pan is dry.
Remove all scaloppine from the pan. Pour off the fat and carefully wipe out the skillet with paper of towels. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and lemon slices. Cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set aside. Scatter the olives and capers into the skillet and cook, stirring gently, until they begin to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and lemon juice, bring to a vigorous boil and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook until slightly syrupy, about 2 minutes.
Return the scaloppine to the skillet, turning the cutlets in the sauce until they are warmed through and coated with sauce. Let sit, off the heat, for a moment while you prepare the spinach.
Heat a second large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil and cook until the butter is foaming. Add the garlic cloves and cook until they begin to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, season with salt and peperoncino and toss to coat the spinach in the oil. Cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover the spinach, increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid from the pan is gone and the spinach is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Discard the garlic.
Return the scaloppine to a brief simmer, swirl in the parsley and divide the scaloppine among warm plates. Spoon the sauce over them, discarding the garlic and including some of the capers and olives in each spoonful. Decorate the tops of the scaloppini with the reserved lemon slices. Plate the spinach alongside the scaloppine.
