Veal or Chicken Scaloppine Marsala

(“Scaloppine di Vitello o di Pollo al Marsala”)


 


Scaloppina is the diminutive of the word scaloppa, from the English scallop and it describes a thin slice of meat quickly sautéed and sprinkled with a liquid, usually with alcohol and sometime adding a vegetable, like mushrooms or peas, and simmered to allow all the ingredients to blend and release their flavors. Usually Marsala wine is used because this combination blends deliciously and gives this dish an incomparable taste and aroma.
In Sicily the Scaloppine are also aromatized with lemon instead of Marsala, and preferred by some people for its tangy taste and delicate flavor. 
Lemons grow abundantly in Sicily and are widely used in our cuisine. 
The lemon juice or the zest is utilized to compliment the flavor and taste of salads, drinks, desserts, fish or meat dishes.
Scaloppine is a popular dish because it can be prepared in a short time, easily, and with few ingredients.
At Joe’s of Avenue U, Scaloppine al Marsala with mushrooms was favored by our customers and was very often served with “arancine ecrocche’”, a rice ball and a few potato croquettes to resemble a true Sicilian- Palermitano meal.

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 to 10 Slices of meat cut scaloppini style (about 1 ½ lb)
  • 3 tablespoons of flour for dredging scaloppini 
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil 
  • ½ cup Marsala wine  
  • ¼ cup water 
  • 2 oz. butter 
  • salt and pepper 
  • some chopped parsley 

Other Ingredients for Scaloppine with Mushroom:

  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil 
  • 1 small onion, diced 
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms 

Preparation

The Scallops
Place the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a mallet to flatten all slices to the same thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and dredge each slice in flour.

 

                        

 
In a heavy skillet over a medium flame, heat 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté the scaloppine on both sides.

The Scaloppine Marsala 
Prepare scallops as per above directions. Add butter to the skillet with meat and as soon as it melts add Marsala wine, the water and sauté over a high flame until the liquid is slightly reduced. 
Arrange on a serving dish; top with its sauce and some chopped parsley.

The Scaloppine with Mushrooms
Prepare scallops as per above directions and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. 

                

Add onions until light golden, about 5 minutes.
Add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper, cook on a medium heat for about 7 minutes.
Place in a colander to drip any excess oil and return to the skillet.
Add the scallops, the Marsala, ¼ cup of water, some of the parsley and sauté over a medium high heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes.


Arrange on a serving dish, and top with its sauce, the mushrooms and some chopped parsley.

 

Variations

  1. Mushrooms can be substituted with a cup of blanched sweet peas.
  2. To make Scaloppine with lemon, substitute the Marsala with the juice of a lemon.
  3. Boiled or mashed potatoes are preferred companions to Scaloppine    Marsala
  4. A nice match to the Scaloppine al Limone is either a green leafy vegetable or a salad dressed with lemon and oil.
  5. To complete the dinner, we suggest a dish of pasta with butter cheese sauce or a tomato a pic-pac sauce.