A simple but elegant dish with thin slices of veal in a Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms and shallots. This authentic Italian recipe can be served with or without pasta.
Traditional Veal Marsala is not served with pasta. Contrary to popular belief, not all Italian dishes are served with pasta. In fact, meats are traditionally served separately as a second course after the pasta. That being said, the sauce is so delicious, you might want something to soak it up. You could include some pasta or egg noodles on your plate, or even some mashed potatoes or polenta. But the veal is definitely the star of this show.
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So what cut of veal do you want for Veal Marsala? You can find veal packaged as scallopini or cutlets in most grocery stores. Cut from the leg, the pieces are already thin and sometimes they’ve even been pounded for you. Look for pieces cut against the grain to ensure they aren’t tough. When in doubt, speak to the butcher. I’ve learned a lot by just asking what I thought were dumb questions. Here’s a great link to learn more about cuts of veal. If your slices aren’t already pounded thin, give them a whack with the flat side of a meat tenderizer between 2 sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. This important step helps ensure your veal is nice and tender.
Yes you can make this with chicken. I know some of you will. But I’m a sucker for authentic international cuisine. When it comes to Italian food, the simplicity is what I love the most. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting Veal Marsala is nothing special. What I’m referring to is that many Italian recipes focus on the best quality ingredients prepared carefully without adding a lot of unnecessary components. Like this one.
As you will see, this ingredient list isn’t long. There’s the Marsala of course. Marsala is a fortified wine, meaning it has a distilled spirit added to it. Meaning higher alcohol content. That’s why you bring the wine to a full simmer in the pan. This cooks off most of the alcohol so you’re left with lots of flavour but not a boozy aroma. Make sure to read the labels carefully when choosing Marsala Wine. Some are dry and some are sweet. Even the dry is sweet but you definitely don’t want to use the sweet version. Save that for Tiramisu.
Chicken broth isn’t found in all Veal Marsala recipes but I like to include it. The broth has a very generic flavour so it can be added to lots of various sauces and won’t overpower the taste. It helps balance the sweetness of the wine too. You can also use beef broth if you prefer. This recipe doesn’t have a ton of sauce, just enough to coat the veal and drizzle over a starch if you choose to serve some pasta or potatoes on the side. The flour dredge before quickly frying the veal helps thicken the sauce and give it a little body.
What savoury dish doesn’t include garlic and onion? In this Veal Marsala, there are shallots which are slightly less pungent than onions and even have a little bit of garlic flavour. Onions will work though if you need to substitute but don’t skip the mushrooms, they’re an important component of this dish. And fresh herbs at the end always brighten up a sauce.
I hope you decide to try Veal Marsala. If you do, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 veal scallopini or cutlets pounded thin look for veal leg scallopini, about 1 lb package
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp salted butter divided
- 8 medium sized mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup Dry Marsala Wine not sweet
- ½ cup chicken broth or beef broth
- 1 tsp salt adjust for sodium level in broth
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Pound veal slices between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap until very thin. Season meat with half of the salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a wide dish or plate. Dredge each slice of veal to coat both sides completely. Shake off excess flour. You won't use all of the flour and that is accounted for in the nutritional information of this recipe.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in wide skillet to medium heat. Quickly fry each slice of veal for about 1 minute per side. Cook in batches if necessary so they don't overlap. Remove pieces to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.
- Add second tablespoon of butter to pan and sauté mushrooms and shallots until golden and soft. Add garlic and sauté about one more minute until softening and fragrant.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add Marsala and chicken broth. Season with remaining salt and pepper and bring to a full simmer for 2-3 minutes to cook off alcohol and slightly thicken sauce.
- Add veal slices back into pan and arrange so they are evenly covered with sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes until veal is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If veal slices aren't as tender as you'd like, (this may happen if you haven't got them pounded thin enough), allow them to simmer in the sauce for another 10 - 15 minutes.
- Chop fresh parsley and stir into pan, saving some for garnish if desired.