Saltimbocca alla romana / Roman style veal cutlet

Serves 4

• 8 veal cutlets (flattened veal slices) 
• 8 slices of raw cured ham
• 16 sage leaves
• 50-60 g of butter
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• a small glass of dry white wine or Marsala, which is my personal favourite 
• salt
• black pepper

*veal can be replaced with flattened chicken breasts but lower the cooking time accordingly

I like to place two sage leaves directly onto each veal slice and cover it with the ham. 

Leave the prepared veal on the side for 20-30 minutes so the meat can absorb some of the sage flavour. You can secure the meat with a tooth pick but in practice that is not really necessary.

In a wide pan (that is big enough to accommodate the veal cutlets) heat the butter with the olive oil and gently pan fry the veal on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Once that is done, move the cutlets into a separate dish.

Now add to the pan the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir occasionally  and when the sauce in the pan starts to thicken, move the veal back into the pan. Cover with a lid and cook on a gentle heat for about 20 minutes or until tender. 

Serve the veal cutlets with roasted potatoes or just with a salad of your choice.