Today, we’re preparing a veal piccata with lemon and capers, accompanied by pan-fried steamed potatoes: a simple, generous Italian recipe that’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner.
Veal Piccata is an Italian recipe made of thin floured and quickly pan-fried veal cutlets, served with a butter and lemon sauce. Depending on the variation, capers and parsley are added. It is usually prepared in less than 30 minutes.
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Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers: An Easy Italian Recipe for the Week
Veal Piccata is one of those dishes that gives the impression of having cooked a lot when the preparation is ultimately very simple.
The principle is based on a few good ingredients: very thin veal cutlets, a light layer of flour, butter, lemon and a sauce prepared directly in the pan that was used to cook the meat.
In this version of the veal piccata with lemon, I also add capers. They bring that little saline and tangy note that contrasts particularly well with the butter and meat juices.
Another particularity: it is a veal piccata without white wine. I deglaze the pan with chicken broth. This allows us to recover the cooking juices while obtaining a fairly mild sauce, which the lemon awakens.
The potatoes are first steamed and then browned in butter and oil. This is probably my favorite side dish for veal piccata : their crispy surface and melty heart absorb just the right amount of lemon-caper sauce.
With a handful of arugula on the side, dinner is over.
Traditional Italian cuisine: a single cuisine with many facets
To speak of “Italian cuisine” in the singular is almost misleading as culinary traditions differ from one region to another.
Italy has a deeply territorial gastronomy. Climate, agriculture, trade and history have shaped very different cuisines between the North, Centre, South and islands. The North is historically more associated with butter, cheeses, polenta and meats, while olive oil, vegetables and Mediterranean influences occupy an increasing place as you go south.
This diversity is precisely what makes easy traditional Italian recipes so interesting: many rely less on the accumulation of ingredients and more on a good command of a few techniques.
The veal piccata is an excellent example. Fine meat, fat, a little flour and lemon are enough to build a real dish.
Traditional veal piccata recipe: what is its origin?
The veal piccata, or piccata di vitello, belongs to the large Italian family of preparations of thin slices of meat cooked quickly in a pan.
Treccani’s gastronomic definition is particularly interesting: piccata is described as a slice of floured veal, cooked in a pan with butter and then seasoned with lemon juice and parsley.
However, you should be wary of overly precise stories that can sometimes be found online. Unlike cotoletta alla milanese, for example, the veal Piccata is not indisputably associated with a date, an inventor or a single region.
The Cucchiaio d’Argento still offers an extremely stripped piccata di vitello al limone : veal, flour, butter, lemon and parsley. It can be prepared in less than thirty minutes.
What about capers in lemon piccata sauce?
They deserve a little clarification.
The most basic Italian version doesn’t necessarily contain it. In contrast, the lemon-butter-capers combination has become so associated with veal piccata with capers that it appears in many contemporary interpretations.
It is particularly present in Italian-American cuisine. Saveur describes its version with lemon, broth, wine and capers as an Italian-American classic.
Our recipe therefore keeps the traditional principle of floured veal cutlet and lemon sauce, while adopting capers to give more relief to the sauce.
Difference between piccata and Milanese schnitzel: it’s not the same recipe
Confusion is quite common, probably because both preparations use veal.
However, the difference between piccata and Milanese schnitzel is important.
The veal piccata is lightly floured. There are no eggs or breadcrumbs. After cooking, a sauce is made with the bottom of the pan.
True costoletta alla milanese, on the other hand, belongs to the family of breaded meats.
We are therefore looking for two totally different textures: crispy and breaded for the Milanese, thin, tender and topped with sauce for the piccata.
Veal piccata with chicken broth and golden potatoes: the ingredients
For 3 people:
For the piccata
- 3 thin veal cutlets, about 450 to 500 g
- 30 g flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25 g butter
- 1 small garlic clove
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp drained capers, about 30 g
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt
- black pepper
For the potatoes
- 600 to 700 g small firm-fleshed potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 15 g butter
- salt
- pepper
- parsley, optional
How to make a tender veal piccata in less than 30 minutes?
Start by steaming the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool slightly before cutting.
Meanwhile, prepare the cutlets.
For tender veal cutlet cooking, thickness is essential. About 5 mm is ideal. If necessary, gently flatten the meat between two sheets of baking paper.
Season and then dip each piece in the flour. Remove the excess: unlike a breading, the flour should form an almost invisible film.
Then brown the potatoes in butter and oil, cut side down against the pan.
For the pan-fried veal recipe, heat the oil with 10 g of butter. Sear the cutlets for about 1 minute 30 to 2 minutes on each side, then remove immediately.
Add the garlic for a few seconds before pouring in the chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan to catch any juices.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and the capers and reduce for a few minutes.
Then lower the heat and stir in the remaining 15g of butter. Gently swirling the pan, the broth, butter and the small amount of flour left over from the cutlets will form a shiny and slightly bound lemon caper piccata sauce .
Finally, put the veal piccata back in this sauce for only 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Serve immediately.
My tips for a tender veal cutlet and a shiny sauce
The first rule for a successful veal Piccata is not to overcook the meat. A 5 mm cutlet cooks extremely quickly.
Second point: don’t overcrowd the pan. If the three cutlets can’t be laid flat, cook twice.
Third tip: watch the reduction. With the pan-browned steamed potatoes, I prefer to keep a fairly generous amount of sauce. If your broth has reduced too much, just add two or three tablespoons of the broth before the butter.
Finally, add the final butter over very low heat. This is the step that transforms a simple lemony juice into a bright sauce.
A little lemon zest added just before serving can also enhance the fragrance without increasing the acidity excessively.
Nutritional values of veal piccata for one serving
For a portion of about one-third of the veal piccata and potatoes, the estimated values are:
| Value | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Energy | ≈ 585 kcal |
| Protein | ≈ 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | ≈ 47 g |
| Fat | ≈ 25 g |
| Fiber | ≈ 5 g |
These values are estimates: they can vary depending on the exact amount of meat, the size of the potatoes and the amount of fat actually left in the pan.
Thanks to the veal, this Italian veal dish for dinner provides a good amount of protein. To lighten the plate slightly, serve a little less potatoes and add an arugula salad seasoned with lemon and olive oil.
A quick veal recipe in 30 minutes to keep on hand
The veal Piccata ticks exactly what I’m looking for in a good weeknight recipe: little preparation, very quick cooking, but enough character not to feel like I’m eating a simple pan-fried schnitzel.
The lemon brings freshness, the capers give relief, the butter rounds out the acidity and the potatoes above all make it possible not to lose a drop of sauce.
It’s an easy Italian veal recipe that you can make just as well for a quick Italian dinner during the week as when you’re entertaining without wanting to spend the evening in the kitchen.
And when a few such simple ingredients make it possible to achieve this result, it would be a shame to reserve the veal piccata for restaurants.
Veal piccata with lemon and capers, pan-fried steamed potatoes
Ingredients
For the veal piccata
- 3 Thin veal cutlets approx. 450 to 500 g
- 30 g flour
- 1 c. tablespoon olive oil
- 25 g butter divided
- 1 small garlic clove chopped
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 1 lemon
- 30 g capers, drained
- 2 c. tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt
- black pepper
For the potatoes
- 600 to 700 g small firm-fleshed potatoes
- 1 c. tablespoon olive oil
- 15 g butter
- salt
- pepper
- Parsley optional
Preparation
- Cook the potatoes. Wash and steam them for 15 to 20 minutes. They should be tender but still firm. Let them cool and then cut them in half.
- Prepare the veal. Flatten the cutlets to about 5 mm if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge them very lightly in the flour and carefully remove the excess.
- Brown the potatoes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 15 g of butter. Place the potatoes cut side down against the pan and brown them for 5 to 8 minutes. Season and set aside.
- Cook the veal piccata. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 10 g of butter over medium-high heat. Cook the cutlets for about 1 minute 30 to 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. Sauté the garlic for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the broth and scrape out any cooking juices. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and the capers. Reduce by about a third for 2 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk in butter. Reduce the heat and then stir in the remaining 15 g of butter. Add the parsley and possibly a little lemon zest.
- Finish. Place the cutlets and their juices back into the sauce. Coat them and reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute maximum.
- Serve immediately with the golden potatoes and possibly a small arugula salad.
Notes
FAQ: everything you need to know about veal piccata
What is a veal piccata?
Veal Piccata is a preparation of thin slices of veal that are lightly floured and quickly pan-fried. In its classic Italian form, they are accompanied by a butter, lemon and parsley sauce. Capers are also very common in contemporary versions.
What meat to use for a piccata?
Choose thin cutlets from a tender piece of veal. The main goal is to obtain meat that is about 5 mm thick so that it can be seared very quickly without becoming dry.
Can you make veal piccata without white wine?
Yes. This veal piccata without white wine is deglazed with 150 ml of chicken stock. The broth perfectly recovers the cooking juices and makes it possible to obtain a balanced sauce with the lemon.
What to serve with veal piccata?
Steamed and then browned potatoes are perfect because they absorb the sauce. Pasta, greens, mashed potatoes or arugula salad are also great accompaniments to veal piccata.
Can you make piccata ahead of time?
The sauce can possibly be made slightly ahead of time, but the meat is best right after cooking. If you have to anticipate, sear the cutlets and set them aside, then finish the sauce and reheat the meat in it for less than a minute before serving.
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