Saltimbocca: Veal and Parma Ham Spirals

March 27, 2011/18 Comments/in Mains, Recipes /by Jill Colonna

Spam Saltimbocca without the spam, please

A few years back, Antoine gave me a clever Christmas present: a course in Italian cooking in Paris. It was a great idea for ALL of us in the end, wasn’t it? One of the class dishes prepared was saltimbocca, but instead of using the traditional veal they used thin chicken breasts and stuffed them with sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.

I’d made Saltimbocca before but I learned a neat trick: instead of serving them as one long sausage type roll, simply cut them up into dainty slices and you see the beautiful spirals: it’s a no brainer. 🙂 Saltimbocca (literally “jumps in the mouth”) is a real classic but so easy to rustle up at the last minute for unexpected guests.

I learned this part not from the class but from my local butcher: to tenderise the veal, hammer the living daylights out of it. The French romantically call this, “une caresse du boucher“. Imagine the scene chez le boucher in Le Vésinet, a posh suburb just up the road from us. With a long queue of serious French customers looking on (and listening carefully, of course) I asked for the thinnest possible veal escalopes they could give me, along with a caresse, please. I thought I was being clever but it was a blond moment. I didn’t go back there for a while since they’d ask me each time for une caresse. So the best way was just to buy a cheap meat hammer from Ikea and do it yourself!

tenderizing meat with a caress du boucher

giving a tenderising “caresse du boucher”

For 4 people

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

4 veal escalopes @ 100g
4 slices Parma ham
8 sage leaves
25cl white wine (or Marsala)
4 tbsps crème fraîche

Spread out each veal escalope on a chopping board and thump the living daylights out of it so that it will be beautifully tender.
Place a slice of Parma ham on top of each escalope, add a sage leaf and season.
Roll up each escalope and hold it together with a toothpick. Chop up the rest of the sage leaves into thin strips.
Fry the escalopes gently in a mixture of butter and olive oil plus the sage on all sides for about 15 minutes. Glaze the pan with the wine (or Marsala if you want something a bit more fruity and gutsy) and finish off by adding the crème frâiche.
Remove the escalope rolls and with a good sharp knife, slice each escalope into small slices.

Serve immediately with pasta tossed in the sauce and decorate with crispy sage leaves.
Alternatively, serve with sweet potato and sage gnocchi for something slightly different.

saltimbocca veal rolls with sweet potato gnocchi and marsala sauce

Saltimbocca served with sweet potato gnocchi and a marsala sauce

18 replies

The Culinary Lens says:
September 26, 2011 at 7:20 pm

I really like the presentation in that top photograph.. I have many blonde moments an I am neither blond nor female LOL
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Magic of Spice says:
April 6, 2011 at 12:04 am

I am sure the Butcher has had many unsure costomers as they are the expert. Just never go meat shopping with me and you will be safe 🙂
Such a stunning dish, and the presentations is so elegant…the gnocchi that I was already in love with, adds a wonderful touch to this dish 🙂
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Ellie M says:
April 1, 2011 at 10:27 pm

Sounds divine, here the catering company I work for makes chicken filets,( the little filet inside a chicken breast) wrapped in prosicutto (italian influence here) then served with a dipping “tonnato” sauce, I have to say its a blend of two dishes but very good!
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Eleanor says:
March 31, 2011 at 10:25 am

Wow – that’s one I will definitely be trying!
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Sheelagh says:
March 30, 2011 at 6:54 pm

Jill, this dish looks so dainty and beautiful and with one of my favourite sauces. Fantastic!
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Lucy says:
March 30, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Love the butcher faux pas too – am going to laugh about that all day (and dream of having saltimbocca for dinner!)
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Corina says:
March 30, 2011 at 11:39 am

I’ve never tried saltimbocca but it looks beautiful.
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Liz says:
March 28, 2011 at 11:10 pm

I adore your presentation! And your story about the butcher shop made me giggle as well 🙂
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Kankana says:
March 28, 2011 at 9:01 pm

awsm post … loving the recipe.. really!!!
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Becky says:
March 28, 2011 at 8:53 pm

This looks like a wonderful way to make the saltimbocca. Great pictures!
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Becky says:
March 28, 2011 at 8:51 pm

This sounds like a great way to make the Saltimbocca.
Great presemtation and Great pictures!
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Susan says:
March 28, 2011 at 8:29 pm

Saltimbocca is one of my absolute favorite Italian dishes … why don’t Iever think to make it? Your recipe takes the mystery out of it and makes it attainable … thanks!
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Janice says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:28 pm

I’ve certainly never seen them served as spirals, but I love Saltimboca.
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Leslie says:
March 28, 2011 at 7:12 pm

Beautiful presentation and delicious recipe! What a great idea! Thanks,
Leslie
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Andrewd3000 says:
March 28, 2011 at 6:42 pm

Wow these look stunning, veal is hard to come by so may have a crack with chicken
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fooddreamer says:
March 28, 2011 at 5:30 pm

Love the idea of cutting them up and seeing the pattern! I love saltimbocca and your recipe looks wonderful. Saved to my favourites!
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Hester Casey - Alchemy says:
March 28, 2011 at 12:01 pm

Oh gorgeous! I love saltimbocca but I’ve never seen it served so stylishly. I laughed at your faux pas in the butchers. I bet you made their day!
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Manu says:
March 28, 2011 at 10:25 am

I love saltimbocca… haven’t made them in a while. Ohhh I am hungry again now and I just had dinner!!!!!! I love the idea of cutting them in slices so you can see the inside, very clever! Great presentation! Brava Jill! 🙂
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