2021 Nicolas Girard, Quincy, France + Veal Scallopini with Piccata Sauce

 
 

Quincy is a rather unknown region in the Upper Loire Valley, specializing in racy Sauvignon Blancs, usually at an excellent value, compared to neighboring Sancerre. Nicolas Girard is one of the region's rising stars after taking over his family farm in 2007. His 2021 Quincy is a medium straw, bright, and terroir-focused with notes of fresh-squeezed lemon, grapefruit pith, and underripe pineapple with herbaceous and bountiful minerality. It’s dry, fresh, and tangy with medium body, medium+ acidity, and exposing layers of complexity as it opens in the glass. It is gorgeous! You can find it in February’s Wine Club deliveries, and three of our new sommelier-curated Loire Valley 6-bottle sets that are poised and ready for delivery to your door.*

For a delicious pairing with the 2021 Quincy, here is our recipe for homemade Veal Scallopini with Piccata sauce (you can substitute chicken or pork cutlets.) This recipe takes only 30 minutes but will make your home feel like a restaurant. The dish is a classic Italian favorite, with tender veal cutlets fried in clarified butter and coated in seasoned breadcrumbs. The tangy Piccata Sauce, made with garlic, capers, white wine, and lemon juice, perfectly complements the savory veal cutlets. It is a perfect pairing with a 2021 Nicolas Girard Quincy, with its bright citrus notes and crisp acidity that perfectly balances the dish's richness. Get ready to indulge in this scrumptious recipe and enjoy the perfect wine and food pairing for a memorable wine and food pairing experience at home.

RECIPE: Veal Scallopini with Piccata Sauce

 

Serves

2 - 4 people

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

 
 

Veal INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Veal Cutlets

  • 3 Cloves Garlic

  • 1/4 Cup Caper (removed from brine)

  • 2 lemons (1 for zest and 1 for Juice)

  • 1 ½ Lb unsalted butter

  • ½-1 Cup dry white wine

  • 3 Eggs

  • 1 Cup Flour

  • 2 Cup breadcrumbs seasoned or unseasoned (+ 2-3 tbsp Grated Parmesan and lemon zest)

  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Salad INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Cups Arugula

  • ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 2 Tbsp EVOO

  • ½ Tbsp dried oregano

  • 1tsp crushed red pepper

  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)

 

Clarifying Butter

Clarifying butter is an important technique to know. It occurs when you remove the milk solids from the butter and are left with just the fat. This raises its smoke point allowing you to cook at higher heats without burning or browning the butter. Traditionally veal Francese or piccata is fried in clarified butter to give the dish a buttery flavor. In a skillet, add 1 Lb of butter and cook on medium heat, until the butter is melted. The solids will begin to rise to the top of the melted butter as a foam. Taking a sieve spoon or slotted spoon, remove the solids from the butter until your butter is a translucent golden color.

Adjust the heat as needed so as not to brown the butter. Once complete, hold on medium heat, watching closely to make sure the butter does not burn. This will heat while we prepare the veal.

Step 1: Mise en Place

Begin by slicing one of the lemons any way you please for garnish, here we chose to create small rings to place on top. The other lemon will be used for zest and juicing.

Next set up a standard breading procedure that consists of a bowl of flour, a bowl of emulsified eggs, and a bowl of breadcrumbs, seasoned with grated parmesan and lemon zest.

Step 2: Make red wine vinaigrette

Combine vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and chili flake in a bowl and whisk in olive oil to lightly emulsify, set aside.

Step 3: Fry time

Season your Veal heavily with salt and pepper. In 3 separate bowls or baking pans, place in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, using one hand for the flour and breading and one hand for the eggs and making sure to pat the flour and breadcrumbs into the veal to thoroughly coat it.

Once breaded, ensure the clarified butter is nice and hot but not smoking, then carefully lay each cutlet in, adjust heat as needed. Cook for 2-3 minutes a side or until golden brown and crispy (If the butter cooks out or there is not enough in the pan, add a neutral oil like grapeseed or canola, Olive oil can be used too but watch your temperature to avoid burning/smoking.)

Remove cutlets from pan onto a cooling rack or paper towels to soak up excess oil and set aside.

Step 4: Make-a da Sauce

Peel and smash the garlic with the back of your knife and add to the remaining butter, capers cook until garlic begins to lightly brown, then remove the garlic and add wine, reduce wine by half, scraping brown bits off the bottom with your spatula. Squeeze in lemon juice then other half of butter, stir together until emulsified.

Put scallopinis back in and toss in sauce so that it coats cutlets and soaks up the sauce.

Step 5: Plating

Toss Arugula salad in the bowl with some flakey sea salt and pepper put onto plate. Place scallopini on top of Arugula and drizzle with pan sauce, garnish with lemon and serve.

 
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