Donal Skehan: Saltimbocca a la Romana

Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 40 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves 4
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pork fillet
  • 12 sage leaves
  • 12 slices prosciutto
  • 25g plain flour
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • For the green beans:
  • 2 gloves garlic, minced
  • 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 250g French beans
  • 50ml white wine</li><li/></ul>

Saltimbocca is easily one of my favourite Roman-style dishes. The Italian nonna who taught me to make it served hers with sautéed green beans and tomatoes – I’ve been making it the same way ever since. It is traditionally made with veal cutlets, but I’ve made mine with pork fillet, and you could also use chicken (gasp!). Thinly cut 12 even slices from the pork fillet, diagonally. Lay each slice flat on a chopping board and gently bash with a meat hammer or rolling pin until it is approximately five millimetres thick. Top each slice with a sage leaf, season with salt and black pepper and wrap with a slice of prosciutto.

Place the flour in a wide dish and dredge each slice until completely coated, patting off any excess.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Cook the slices in batches, using extra oil as needed, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for two minutes on each side or until the pork has cooked through and the prosciutto becomes crispy. Set aside and keep the meat warm.

Gently fry the garlic in the pan for one to two minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes. Cook for a further two minutes. Add the green beans and white wine and cook for four or five minutes, until the beans are tender.