Piccata Al Limone Recipe

Prepare veal

Pat the veal cutlets dry with paper towels. If any pieces are thicker than 1/4 inch, cover with plastic and gently pound with a meat mallet until uniformly thin (about 1/8–1/4 inch). Season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.

Place the flour in a shallow dish and lightly dredge each seasoned cutlet, shaking off excess. Set the dredged cutlets on a rack or plate while you heat the pan.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter foams and the pan is hot but not smoking, add 2–3 cutlets (do not crowd) and cook 1–1.5 minutes per side until golden-brown and just cooked through. Transfer cooked cutlets to a warm plate and tent with foil. Repeat with remaining oil, butter and cutlets, adding oil/butter as needed so there is about 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter used per batch. Keep the pan drippings in the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 1–2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown).

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine simmer and reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and simmer another 2 minutes to concentrate flavor. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the capers and simmer 1 minute.

If using, stir in the heavy cream now and simmer 30–60 seconds until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning — the capers and lemon add salt and tang, so add up to 1/4 tsp additional salt only if needed.

Return the veal cutlets and any accumulated juices to the skillet, spooning the sauce over them. Add the thawed peas and warm through for about 1 minute (peas should be heated but retain bright color). Warm gently — do not overcook the veal.

Remove from heat and swirl in remaining 1 tablespoon butter to enrich and slightly thicken the sauce. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the veal and sauce.

Transfer the veal to a serving platter or individual plates and spoon extra sauce, capers, and peas over the top. Garnish with lemon slices if desired and serve immediately.