Costolette di Vitello Paillard Valdostana

     Cotelette di Vitello Valdostana is one of the finest veal recipes of all time.  The flavor is outstanding!  The translation of this recipe title is easy.  Veal Chop - Pounded Flat - Cooked in the style of Valdosta, Italy.  Valdosta Italy is a land of hills and castles.  This veal chop recipe is fit for royalty!
      I learned this recipe many years ago, while apprenticing in a Northern Italian restaurant.  This recipe is a very high priced item on a restaurant menu.  The cost of cooking this veal chop recipe at home may be well over $25 per serving.  At a price like that, no mistakes can be made.  Shaved Piedmont White Truffles are the correct mushroom for this recipe, but if none are available in your area, then use porcini mushrooms.  Porcini are more than just acceptable for this recipe.  On our restaurant menu, we stated that porcini was the chef's choice mushroom for this recipe and we had nothing but compliments!
    
     Costolette di Vitello Paillard Valdostana:
     Trim any excess outer fat off of a large veal chop.
     French the bone, so it is bare.
     Gently pound the meat with a bottle or smooth faced meat mallet, till it is thin and evenly thick.  (Paillard)
     Cover one side of the veal chop with paper thin slices of imported certified Italian Parma Prosciutto.  (Do not use cheap American or Canadian prosciutto for this recipe!)
     Very gently pound the prosciutto onto the veal meat with the flat side of a mallet, till it is firmly attached.
     Heat a saute pan over medium heat. 
     Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
     Carefully place the veal chop in the pan with the prosciutto side facing down and saute for one minute, while gently shaking the pan to prevent sticking.
     Carefully flip the chop over without loosening the prosciutto.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of sliced shallot.
     Add 1 chopped garlic clove.
     Saute till the garlic starts to become a golden color.
     Add 1 small handful of sliced porcini mushrooms.  (Reconstituted dried porcini are fine for this recipe.)
     Note:  If white truffles are available, use them instead of porcini.  Wait to add shaved white truffles later in the recipe, when the sauce is being finished!
     Lightly saute the mushrooms.
     Add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
     Add 2 ounces of dry red wine.
     Add about 1 1/3 cups of rich beef or veal broth.  The broth should only come half way up the sides of the veal chop and it should not cover the veal chop.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 3 fresh sage leaves.
     Press a trimmed piece of parchment paper onto the prosciutto on the veal chop, to prevent the prosciutto from drying or burning in the oven.
     Place the pan in a 350 degree oven.
     Roast the veal chop in the oven, till the bone becomes a lightly caramelized brown color.  (About 10 minutes.)
     Place the pan over low heat.
     Remove the protective parchment paper.
     Simmer and reduce the thin sauce, with the veal chop in the pan.
     Sprinkle a very small amount of grated Fontina cheese on the prosciutto on top of the veal chop.    
     Note:  Only a small amount of Fontina is needed!  This is not some kind of cheap American veal parmigiana recipe!  Fontina cheese has a bold flavor, so just use it like a seasoning.
    
     Presentation: 
     Mound a portion vegetables of your choice on the plate.  (Zucchini squash and tomato ragu is a good choice!)
     Place a small portion of al dente pasta on the plate.  (Mafaldine pasta is a good choice!)
     Place the Costolette di Vitello Paillard Valdostana on the plate, so the bone is leaning against the vegetables on the plate.  The prosciutto side of the veal chop should be facing up.
     Remove the cooked sage leaves from the pan and discard them.
     Simmer and reduce the thin sauce in the pan, till it becomes a thin glace jus sauce consistency.
     Place the porcini mushroom slices across the top of the veal chop.  (If white truffles are used, then just shave the paper thin slices of white truffle over the veal chop.)
     Pour the thin sauce over and around the veal chop.
     Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta.
     Sprinkle a tiny amount of finely grated Fontina Cheese over the pasta.
     Garnish the veal with a sage sprig.
     Garnish the plate with Italian parsley sprigs.
   
     Recipe Tips:  Cook the pasta ahead of time and reheat it in hot water.  Make the zucchini and tomato ragu ahead of time and keep it warm.
    
     Zucchini and Tomato Ragu Recipe:
     This recipe makes 1 serving!
     Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium/medium low heat.
     Add 1 clove of chopped garlic.
     When the garlic turns a golden color, add 2 tablespoons of chopped onion.
     Add 1/2 cup of thick bite size zucchini pieces.
     Add 1/3 cup of bite size green bell pepper pieces.
     Saute till the vegetables start to become tender.
     Add 1 peeled chopped fresh plum tomato.
     Add 1 sliced green onion.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1 pinch of oregano.
     Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.
     Reduce the temperature to low heat.
     Simmer and reduce the ragu, till nearly all of the liquid has evaporated.
     Keep the ragout warm over very low heat.
   
     Costolette di Vitello Paillard Valdostana is exceptionally great tasting!  The flavors are unforgettable.  Italian style quickly stewed vegetables and a small amount of pasta are nice accompaniments.  Mafaldine is a very pretty looking pasta.
     You can serve this recipe with risi or a risotto instead of pasta if you wish.  I would suggest reserving the heavier risotto for a winter preparation of this recipe.
     Paillard actually means to pound flat for quick and even cooking.  This technique was named after Chef Paillard, who was a great French chef.  
     Costolette di Vitello Paillard Valdostana is a special entree for special occasions.  Yum!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna