Saltimbocca alla Romana: how to make it
The taste of Rome unfolds in just two steps and three ingredients… Saltimbocca alla Romana is one of our favourites from Italian cuisine. This recipe comes from the (wonderful!) cookbook Tasting Italy.
Saltare in bocca means ‘to jump into the mouth’. This gives an idea of the size of the bites and how delicious they are. They are thin slices of veal wrapped in prosciutto (smoked ham) and sage leaves and secured with a toothpick or kitchen twine, then fried in butter. Is your mouth watering yet?!
Originally from the area around Brescia
Ada Boni, the Italian chef who wrote the famous book Talismano della felicità (1929), believes they originally came from the area around Brescia, probably because of the reference to ‘saltimbocca alla bresciana’ found in certain recipe books. They were subsequently adopted by trattoria Le Venete in Rome.
After tasting them in the 19th century at this former palace of Roman cuisine, Pellegrino Artusi included the recipe in his cookbook Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (1891).
How to make Saltimbocca alla Romana
- If the fillets are a little thick, flatten and tenderise them slightly with a weight or rolling pin.
- Cover the veal cutlets with the smoked ham (without letting it stick out too much), place a sage leaf in the centre and secure with one or two toothpicks.
- Let half the butter foam in a large frying pan and fry the meat over high heat, for 1 minute on the ham side and 2 minutes on the other side. Pour in the white wine, season with salt and pepper, remove the fillets and keep them warm.
- Still over high heat, reduce the sauce slightly, add the remaining butter, pour over the saltimbocca and serve.
Four handy tips
Tip 1: To make the cooking sauce creamy, Roman grandmothers like to lightly dust the trimmed cutlets with flour, but only on the side without ham. There should be no shortage of bread on the table… for dipping into the sauce!
Tip 2: Some chefs put mozzarella or provolone cheese between the veal and ham; capers, chopped artichokes or chopped red onions can be added to the pan.
Tip 3: Replace veal with beef or chicken. Some chefs use bacon instead of ham for a smoky touch.
Tip 4: to turn these saltimbocche into a starter, cut small 6–7 cm cutlets from large slices of veal, cover them with salted ham of the same size, place a sage leaf on top and hold everything together with a toothpick before frying. Serve with drinks.
Title: Tasting Italy
Author: François-Régis Gaudry & friends
Price: €59,99
Publisher Lannoo
Read also:
