Saltimbocca

Saltimbocca alla Romana: thin veal escalope, sage leaf, prosciutto di Parma, sauteed in butter and finished with white wine. The name means jumps in the mouth — referring to the speed with which it should be eaten and the way the flavours arrive simultaneously. The veal, sage, and prosciutto are secured together and cooked as one unified piece, not as separate elements that happen to share a plate.

Rome, Lazio. Classically made with veal — the most refined and expensive meat in Roman cooking. The combination of sage and prosciutto with veal is documented in Roman cookbooks from the 19th century. The dish's name acknowledges its immediacy.

Frascati Superiore DOCG — the white wine of Rome, dry and mineral, and the same wine used to deglaze the pan. The wine and the dish share a geography and a flavour logic.

Veal escalope: cut from the top round (noce), pounded to 3mm — thin enough to cook in 2 minutes per side without the prosciutto burning One large sage leaf per escalope, pressed firmly onto the veal, then one slice of prosciutto di Parma laid over and secured with a single toothpick Cook prosciutto-side down first in a hot pan with clarified butter — the prosciutto crisps and adheres to the veal; flip once for 30 seconds on the veal side Remove the veal, deglaze the pan with dry white wine (Frascati or Pinot Grigio) and reduce by two-thirds to a glaze — this is the sauce Finish the sauce with cold diced butter swirled off heat — creating a mounted pan sauce, not a gravy The whole process: 8 minutes from pan to plate