Scaloppine di Montagne

During midsummer, when you are sick of salad but it's still too hot to really get the stove going, scaloppine are a good compromise. The thin slices of veal take only a few mintues to cook, so the dish is prepared before you even have a chance to raise a sweat.

I've based this fresh, summery scaloppine on a recipe I found in Arturo Lengo's wonderful book on the cuisine of Campania, Cucina Napoletana.

Serves two

Ingredients

2 veal escalopes
Plain flour for dredging
2 slices proscuitto
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tsp capers
3 large mushrooms, finely sliced
Pinch of dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put a few tablespoons of flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal slices in the flour and shake off any excess.

Heat a lightly oiled frypan and cook the veal. You'll only need a minute or so on each side. Remove the veal to a plate and keep warm.

If needed, add a little more oil to the pan and fry the mushrooms until softened slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes and oregano, then cook until the tomatoes just start to collapse (they don't need to be fully reduced to a sauce). Taste for salt and season if necessary.

Top each slice of veal with proscuitto, then the mushroom and tomato mixture. Finish by scattering over the basil, parsley and capers.

Serve with a simple salad of rocket and tomato dressed with oil, lemon and salt.