Ham And Cheese Veal Escalopes

One of the less well-known dishes from Bologna but still very enjoyable.  This dish is known as Scaloppine alla bolognese so most of us will have seen it on the menu in that great Italian foodie city. This is not a dish that uses that other great Bolognese tradition, its sauce. It would completely smother the delicate flavours of the veal.

Ingredients:

• 8 veal escalopes -will be 1lb/450g in total weight. Cut them across the grain.
• 2 oz/50g/1/2 cup flour which has been seasoned with freshly ground pepper and salt for dredging or coating.
• 25ml/1oz/ 2 tbsp butter
• 30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
• 45ml/3 tbsp dry white wine
• 8 thin ham slices
• 50g/2 oz/1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or even Gran Padano, or 8 small pieces of Gruyere cheese   

Preparation:

1. Preheat  the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Pound the escalopes flat with a baton, baseball bat or plastic hammer.
2. If they have not been cut across the grain or from one muscle, cut small notches around the edges to prevent them from curling during roasting or doing a saute.
3. Spread the seasoned flour on a plate.
4. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Dredge each veal slice in the flour and shake off any excess.
5. Let the foaming butter subside and place one piece of veal into the pan and brown the slices quickly on both sides. Remove from the pan and place is a shallow oven dish. 
6. Add wine to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the brown residue from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Pour over the escalopes as a form of glaze.
7. Place one slice of ham onto each escalope. Sprinkle with cheese in one form or another.
8. Put the veal on the oven dish into the oven and cook until the cheese melts. It takes 5 to 7 minutes all told.
9. Serve hot with some vegetables. A few peas and beans will work well here.