June 5: Sweet and Savory Stuffed Veal Rolls with a Mustard Pan Sauce

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
12 large green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
   Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/3 pounds (8 pieces) veal shoulder scallopini
8 slices prosciutto di Parma
   Toothpicks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth

To make the filling, in a medium bowl, combine the pine nuts, olives, raisins, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Season with a little salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning; this is your last chance to make sure the filling is up to par.

Lay the 8 pieces of scallopini out on the cutting board without overlapping any of the pieces. Season the meat with a little salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each scallopini. If necessary, fold the prosciutto so that it fits the veal pieces without an overhang. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on the lower half of each slice. Starting at the point closest to you, roll each portion away from you into a cigar shape. Secure each veal roll with a toothpick.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the butter. Once the butter is no longer foaming, add the 8 veal rolls. Brown an all sides, 2 to 3 minutes.

Move the veal rolls over a little, clearing a spot in the skillet to add the garlic, thyme, tomato paste, and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard and chicken stock and continue to cook for 4 minutes.

Serve the rolls with the sauce poured over them.

4 SERVINGS

When I went to the market asking for veal, the butcher said, "well, we can order it, but why don't you just use chicken? It tastes so much better!" So, I found some chicken tenders in my freezer, and I flattened them out and used those. It was pretty tasty, but I'm not sure if I would have liked the veal better. My pine nuts got burned while I was trying to toast them, so those got left out, and I changed the recipe to say Parmesan and dried thyme instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh thyme. Before the recipe, it says to serve this meal with a green salad and crusty bread. I sort of missed that part, so we skipped it. We're ok with that. I really liked the mustard sauce, and my DH really liked the olives in the filling. The prosciutto wasn't too salty, so this meal was very good over all.