Veal Piccata With Artichokes & Sauteed Spinach

This is a recipe from a once favorite restaurant in San Francisco called, Kuleto’s. After 30 years, the restaurant closed in 2016, leaving us with many fond memories of wonderful dinners over the years. We met the chef Robert Helstrom a couple of times as well. His take on the Italian food scene in San Francisco was fresh and unique, creating traditional dishes with his own flair. This dish is a perfect example, with delicious twist to traditional Veal Piccata.

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This dish comes together quite quickly so prep is essential. Buy the best veal scallopine you can and then pound it to thin pieces. Tip: Lay plastic wrap right on the counter, then place the veal and then cover with a second piece of plastic wrap to pound. This makes for easier clean up as well as a very flat working surface.

Next, salt an pepper all pieces on both sides.

Then, dredge in the flour. Lay the floured pieces on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Flour all the pieces before starting to cook.

Working in batches, begin to fry the veal in preheated oil. Frying will take less than a minute on each side.

When done, move the cooked veal to parchment paper and move onto the next batch.

When the last piece is finished leave it in the pan. Now comes the good part; the sauce! Add the garlic and capers.

Then add the wine, lemon juice and artichokes. Let it simmer for just a few minutes until the sauce thickens just a bit and the wine cooks down.

Add the veal all back to the pan to rewarm a bit. Spoon some of the yummy sauce over all the veal pieces.

The original recipe calls for fresh artichokes. We chose canned for 2 reasons. First they are a lot less time consuming to make. Second, the cost of a single artichoke in Texas (where we live) is about $5 and we’d need about 3-4. Canned artichokes help make the dish easy and a little less expensive to create!

In a clean deep frypan heat the remaining oil and whole clove of garlic for the spinach.

The spinach literally cooks for seconds and then it’s ready. Add salt and pepper and splash with a bit of red wine vinegar. Place on a platter, alongside the veal and artichokes with the sauce.

Elegant and Delicious!

This dish is great for a small dinner party and looks like you worked all day on it! The spinach completes the dish, but a small side of pasta for the delicious sauce would work well too.

Yield: 4

Author: Robert Helstrom

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Veal Piccata with Artichokes and Spinach

In a favorite from an old San Francisco restaurant, this dish is a twist on a traditional Veal Piccata adding artichoke hearts and fresh spinach.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Veal

• 12 Veal slices, cut scaloppine style, pounded 1/8 thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Flour for dredging
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons capers
• 1 can quartered artichoke hearts (in water)
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 (or more to taste) teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Spinach

• 1 large bunch (about 1 1/2 lbs) fresh spinach
• 1 whole large clove of garlic
• 1tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Splash of white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Season the veal with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom. Add half of the veal (or as many that will fit in one layer). Cook until lightly browned, about 45 seconds a side. Remove and set aside on a warm plate. Repeat, until all the veal is cooked.
3. Immediately after turning the final piece of veal, add the garlic, capers, artichokes, wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add the rest of the veal back to the pan. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Reduce heat while making the spinach.
4. In separate skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the whole garlic. Add the spinach. Using tongs, turn the spinach until evenly wilted. This will take less than a minute. Add salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar, turning one final time. Remove from heat.
5. Back to the veal, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Whisk in to the sauce until melted and fully incorporated into the sauce. Taste for correctness, add salt and pepper and additional lemon juice if desired.
6. On a large platter, lay the veal in the middle. Add the spinach across the top of the veal and the artichokes along the bottom. Pour the sauce over the veal and artichokes. Garnish with lemon. Serve at once. Enjoy!