Veal Marsala, Nebbiolo, and a Happy Stomach
Just an ordinary night, cooking up a little something that turned out to be quite the treat. I had some shiitake mushrooms left over from my trip to the market and decided to make Veal Marsala, loosely based on one of my favorite Bravo! dishes. That, along with some garlic-sauteed spinach and Yukon Gold potatoes, which were oven-roasted and then finished with white truffle oil, well…..all I could say was YUM.
I didn’t want to open any of the Pinot Noirs I already had, so I opted for the 2002 Viansa La Nebbia Nebbiolo, which I bought when visiting a friend who used to work there. And it turned out to be a very sound choice. On the nose I got a hint of bacon (BLT’s came to mind, actually) and strawberry. Then when I took the first taste, it seemed hot initially (with 13.5% alcohol: not too high), but that soon faded into more strawberry. The wine was rather light, with low tannin, which might not seem to stand up to a cream-based sauce, but the earthiness was a great match for the nutty character of the Marsala, as well as the drizzle of truffle oil.
Veal Marsala recipe
Pound out veal cutlets between plastic wrap with a little salt and pepper. Cut into small pieces, dust with flour, and place in a pre-heated skillet with olive oil. Turn the pieces until they brown evenly, then remove to a side plate, covering with foil. Meanwhile, add diced shallots and sliced shitaake mushrooms, and sautee for a few minutes. Then add a generous pour of Marsala and reduce. Heavy cream will finish the sauce, perhaps a quarter cup or so. Put veal back into the skillet, coating thoroughly. Can also be tossed with pasta, preferrably egg noodles. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy!
Veal Marsala, Viansa, Nebbiolo
February 5th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Do you think that particular nebbiolo is something that can be cellared for a while, or is it meant to be drinkable now?
February 5th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Farley, you’re making me hungry.