Scaloppine al Marsala

A pan-Italian restaurant classic with roots in Sicilian and Piedmontese cooking, where Marsala wine is used as both a cooking and drinking wine. The dish represents the fundamental Italian technique for scaloppine: thin slices of veal are quickly sautéed, removed from the pan, and a sauce is built from the fond using wine and butter. Hazan emphasises that this is a fast dish—three to four minutes total cooking time for the veal—and that the quality depends entirely on the Marsala and the speed of execution. The veal should spend as little time in the pan as possible.

Veal top round is sliced thin and pounded to an even thickness of about 5 mm (¼ inch). The scaloppine are dredged lightly in flour, shaking off the excess. They are sautéed in butter and a small amount of oil over high heat for about one minute per side, then removed to a warm plate. Dry Marsala wine is poured into the hot pan, scraping up the browned fond, and reduced by half. A small piece of cold butter is swirled in to create a glossy sauce, which is poured over the veal. The entire process, from first slice hitting the pan to plating, should take under five minutes.

The Marsala provides the dish's defining character—a complex, slightly sweet, nutty wine flavour that coats the mild veal. The flour creates a thin barrier that browns in the butter, adding a toasted note. The butter in the sauce provides richness and helps the Marsala cling to the meat. The overall effect should be elegant and fast-tasting, with the Marsala prominent but not cloying.