Breaded Veal Sinatra with Swiss & Salami
Pound veal slices to ¼-inch thick, season, and sandwich Swiss cheese, salami and sage between two slices. Dredge each stack in flour, egg, then flour again, and fry in bubbling olive oil and butter until golden on both sides. Cook shallot and mushrooms in the same skillet, reduce Marsala by half, add beef stock and reduce until thick and syrupy, then return the veal and swirl in the last of the butter.
Veal Sinatra is a dish from the golden age of the supper club: thin veal cutlets sandwiched around Swiss cheese and salami, breaded and seared until crisp, then finished in a glossy Marsala mushroom sauce. It is indulgent, nostalgic, and unapologetically rich — the kind of plate that pairs with dim lighting and a good record. Built for two, it makes an intimate dinner feel like an occasion.
Stuffing & Breading the Scallopini
Start with veal pounded thin, then layer Swiss, salami and sage between two cutlets and press them together so the filling is sealed within. Bread them in the classic way — flour, egg, then flour again — pressing the coating on firmly so it clings, and sear them in hot fat until deeply golden and crisp on both sides. The cheese melts into the center as they cook, binding the salami and veal into one savory, gooey bite.
The Marsala Mushroom Sauce
The same pan that seared the veal becomes the sauce. Brown the mushrooms hard in the flavorful drippings, pour in the Marsala, and let it reduce, scraping up the fond, into a glossy, savory-sweet sauce. Return the crisp cutlets just long enough to warm through and soak up a little of the sauce, then spoon it generously over the top. The crisp coating against the rich mushroom Marsala is the whole decadent point.
Breaded Veal Sinatra with Swiss & Salami
Ingredients
Method
- Place the veal slices between two pieces of parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to pound to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place one slice of veal on your work surface.
- Top with a slice of cheese followed by a slice of salami.
- Add sage and a second slice of cheese.
- Place a slice of veal on top. Smush down gently.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients. You will have two “veal sandwiches”!
- Add the flour to a shallow bowl.
- Whisk the egg with the water.
- Dredge the sandwiches in the flour, coating both sides.
- Gently shake off excess flour and dip into the egg, again coating both sides.
- Shake off the excess egg and dredge once more in the flour.
- Transfer the veal to a plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of both olive oil and butter in a skillet on medium-high.
- Once the butter is bubbling, add the veal. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook until golden, another few minutes. Transfer to a platter.
- Add the shallot and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook until the shallot pieces are soft and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the wine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the beef stock and reduce it again. The sauce should be thick and syrupy.
- Add the veal back to the sauce.
- Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
The Heart of the Table
To cook a rich, old-fashioned dish like this for someone is a warm and romantic kind of generosity — a plate that says the evening is worth dressing up for. There is nostalgia and care in a supper-club classic made at home, in the candlelight and the crisp veal and the glossy sauce, all of it for the pleasure of one good dinner together.
The Art of the Host
A meat mallet, a wide skillet, and a bottle of Marsala are what this needs. Seal the cheese well inside the veal so it doesn't escape, press the breading on firmly, and sear the mushrooms in a single layer for the deepest flavor. Finish the sauce with the cutlets in it only briefly, so the coating stays crisp rather than going soggy.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: You can stuff and bread the scallopini ahead and keep them chilled, ready for a quick sear when you want dinner. The sauce comes together in the same pan in minutes, so with the veal prepped, this intimate dinner is a fast, impressive finish.
- The Pour: A glass of dry Marsala or a medium Italian red like Chianti matches the sauce and richness. For a non-alcoholic option, a sparkling red grape or a San Pellegrino with lemon cuts through the decadence.
- The Vibe: This is intimate, supper-club dining at home — plate the crisp veal under its glossy Marsala mushrooms, dim the lights, and let a quiet dinner for two feel like a special night out. It is rich, romantic, and gloriously old-school.