Ingredients

Serves 6-8

Veal Saltimbocca
12 veal escalopes (about 20g each)
Freshly ground black pepper
22 fresh sage leaves
12 slices prosciutto
12 toothpicks
Plain flour, for dredging
100 g butter
⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
2 cloves organic
Garlic, sliced
3 tbsp dry white wine



Sage and Cheddar Biscuits
Makes 24

150 g butter, softened
1½ cups (225 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
125 g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Small handful finely chopped sage leaves, plus extra to garnish (optional)
Pinch of salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp mustard powder

Method

Veal Saltimbocca with Sage Butter
This is a consistent crowd-pleaser in my household. I use small escalopes to make bite-sized canapés, but you can use larger ones and serve this as an entree or a main course.

Season the meat generously with pepper (there’s no need to add salt as the prosciutto will be salty enough). Place a sage leaf on top of each piece of veal, reserving the rest for later, then wrap with a prosciutto slice and secure with a toothpick. Dredge the veal pieces in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large heavy-based frying pan, melt half the butter with the oil over medium–high heat. Add 4 or 5 sage leaves and, working in batches, cook the veal for 2–3 minutes on each side, adding more olive oil as necessary. Transfer the cooked veal to a large plate and keep warm.

Once all the veal is cooked, add the garlic and remaining sage leaves to the pan and fry for 1–2 minutes until the sage crisps up: You may need to add a little more butter. Remove the crispy sage leaves and set aside.

Pour in the wine, increase the heat to high and cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by half, scraping all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan.

To serve, arrange the veal slices on a large platter, spoon over the butter sauce and scatter over the crispy sage leaves.


Sage and Cheddar Biscuits
These savoury biscuits are soft and crumbly. I serve them as part of a cheeseboard with olives and salami, or just on their own with a glass of white wine. They’re also great for kids’ lunchboxes.

Place all the ingredients except the whole sage leaves in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Transfer mixture to a clean, floured benchtop, divide in half and roll into two logs about 3 cm thick. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat fan-forced oven to 180°C and line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Slice the logs into discs about 1–2 cm thick and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Press a sage leaf onto a few biscuits, if desired. Bake for 10–12 minutes until just slightly browned.

 

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