Veal Scallopini with Watercress Salad

    Spring is already here and it's time to start bringing out the lighter dishes. This simple version of veal scallopini is perfect for a light lunch on a warm spring day. Lightly breaded veal is topped with a simple salad of watercress and parmesan shavings, dressed with just olive oil and lemon juice. The bitterness of the watercress is balanced nicely by the tang of the lemon juice. If you can't find watercress, arugula is just as good. A drizzle of beurre noisette over the veal gives this dish a hint of buttery richness. To make beurre noisette, you simply cook butter until it just starts to brown, and takes on a nutty aroma. With an added squeeze of lemon juice, beurre noisette, or "brown butter," is great on veal, but also make a nice sauce for pretty much any fish or seafood.     

Start to finish: 15 minutes, Serves 2

Ingredients:

400g (14oz) thin pounded veal cutlets
3 cups watercress
1/2 cup shaved parmesan
1 lemon
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour

1. Spread the flour out on a plate. Season the veal with salt and pepper and then dredge in the flour. Heat 1 tbs olive oil & 1 tbs butter in a large frying pan and then add the veal. Fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.

2. Divide the veal cutlets among 2 plates and then heat the remaining butter in the pan that the veal was fried in. When the butter starts to froth and begins to turn brown, remove the pan from the heat and add the juice of half a lemon. Pour the brown butter over the veal.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the watercress and the parmesan shavings and then dress with 1 tbs olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper and then top the veal with the salad.