If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day dinner menu ideas, Escalope de Veau, sauce au vin Marsala should definitely be on your list. Veal steaks are slightly pounded, dredged in flour and pan-seared until golden. The real key to this dish is the rich and creamy garlic sauce made with Marsala wine. I know, garlic on Valentine’s Day seems odd. But food that tastes great will set the mood, and what doesn’t taste better with garlic?
I paired the veal with ratatouille, but if you’d prefer a starch, mashed sweet potatoes would make a great choice. The most important thing when preparing a romantic meal is to keep it simple. You don’t want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen! Veal scallopini is a safe bet, brings the ”wow” factor, and is delicious to boot.
1. Info for Veal Scallopini with Garlic Cream Sauce (Escalope de Veau Marsala)
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Servings: 8
- Calories: 681kcal
2. Ingredients for Veal Scallopini with Garlic Cream Sauce (Escalope de Veau Marsala)
- 8 veal breasts (about 2-½ pounds), boneless
- 1-½ tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1-½ teaspoons white pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 head roasted garlic
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 (14-ounce) can veal stock (or beef stock), 1-3/4 cups
- 1/3 cup Marsala (or water)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, up to ½ cup
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
3. Directions:
- Rinse the steaks and pat them dry using paper towels.
- Season the veal with salt, cayenne pepper and white pepper. Sprinkle with baking powder. Toss well. Place the veal in a large bowl or a sealable zip-top bag. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of Marsala wine. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the shallots and the sprig of rosemary and cook on heat high until slightly golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until soft and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the caramelized shallots and rosemary to a plate.
- Pat the meat dry one more time using paper towels. Transfer one veal steak at a time onto a cutting board previously lined with a piece of plastic wrap. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top of the veal like a sandwich. Gently pound the meat using a meat tenderizer mallet to about 1-¼-inch thick. Using a fine mesh strainer, sprinkle some flour on both side of the steaks and shake off the excess flour.
- In the same pan, add the rest of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, pan-sear the veal for less than 2 minutes on each side until golden. You can pan-sear them 4 at a time, depending on the size of the pan (don’t over-crowd the pan). Quickly transfer the veal scallopini to a platter. The veal will finish cooking in the sauce.
- In a bowl, squeeze out the softened garlic cloves from the roasted garlic. Add ¼ cup of water and the rest of the Marsala wine.
- Add veal broth to the hot pan, bring to a boil and scrape the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon (called deglazing). Reduce (uncovered) the liquid to about half its quantity. Add the Marsala mixture, bring to a boil again and cook for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to low. Add the cream (I added more for a thicker texture) and ¼ cup of parmesan, stirring continuously. Adjust seasoning of the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the reserved shallots, rosemary and veal scallopini. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Remove and discard the sprig of rosemary. Add flat-leaf parsley. Toss well. Check seasoning. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
- I paired it with ratatouille on the side. Serve warm.
- Bon appétit!
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