Saltimbocca alla Romana

Method

1. Put each slice of veal between two sheets of cling film and pound it from the centre outwards with a rolling pin or a flat-bottomed pan until it is an even 5 mm thick. Allow 2 palm-sized pieces per person. Pat them very dry with kitchen paper so they brown instead of steaming.

   Add in this stepVeal escalopes (thinly sliced) 240 g

2. Lay 1 sage leaf on each piece of veal, cover with 1 slice of prosciutto and press firmly with your palm so it sticks. Weave a toothpick through to hold the sage and prosciutto in place. Prosciutto is salty, so skip the salt; just turn the pieces over and grind a little pepper on the meat side.

   Add in this stepFresh sage leaves 4Prosciutto, thin slices 4Black pepper to taste

3. Spread the flour on a plate, press both sides of each piece into it lightly, then tap off the excess so only a thin film remains. A thick coating turns the sauce pasty; a thin one just thickens it slightly.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 1½ tbsp

4. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a 26 cm frying pan over medium-high heat. When the butter foam starts to subside, lay the pieces in prosciutto side down and cook for 1 min 30 sec until the prosciutto is crisp. Turn and cook for 1 min more, until the edges of the veal turn pale, then lift out. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam; cook in batches and keep the cooked pieces on a warm plate covered with foil.

   Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil 1 tbspUnsalted butter 10 g

   medium-high heat

5. Pour the wine into the same pan, turn the heat to high heat and let it bubble for 1 min 30 sec, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half. Add the rest of the butter and swirl the pan until it melts into a glossy sauce. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt only if needed. Pull out the toothpicks, spoon the sauce over the meat and serve at once.

   Add in this stepDry white wine 60 mlUnsalted butter 10 gSalt to taste

   high heat