Veal Cutlets with Lemon (Italian Piccatine al Limone)

Piccatine al limone is a traditional Italian dish originating from the Lazio area. The dish is usually made with a combination of veal, prosciutto, lemon, parsley, flour, butter, and seasonings. The thinly sliced veal fillets are seasoned with pepper, dipped in flour, cooked on both sides in butter and seasoned with salt, then set aside. In the same pan, the lemon juice, chopped parsley, and strips of prosciutto are sautéed until the prosciutto has coloured. The sauce is then spooned over the veal and the dish is served warm.

1 lb veal fillet, thinly sliced (450 g)
black pepper, freshly cracked
1¾ oz all-purpose flour, unbleached (50 g)
4½ Tbsp. butter (70 g)
sea salt
1 lemon
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
1½ oz sliced prosciutto (40 g)
capers

Trim the veal slices to make uniform rounds. Sprinkle them with pepper and then dip them quickly in the flour, shaking off the excess. Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it foams. Add the meat slices and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, remove the slices from the pan and place them, overlapping, on a warmed platter. Sprinkle with salt and cover to keep them warm. Reserve the pan juices in the pan.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and finely chop the parsley leaves. Cut the prosciutto in strips and add it to the reserved pan juices. Add the remaining butter and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes. When the prosciutto has coloured, add the chopped parsley add 3 Tbsp. of lemon juice and the capers. Cook the sauce over a lively flame for not more than 1 minute.

Spoon the sauce over the meat slices and serve immediately.