Bookmark this recipe, a longtime favorite. Someday you’ll want a restaurant-quality meal that can be made in 10 minutes and this is the one to try.
It’s so simple, just a handful of perfectly-matched ingredients, and if they’re restaurant-quality your dish will be too. That means good and unquestionably-fresh olive oil for the pan, prosciutto from the deli and not from a package hanging by the cold cuts and no grated cheese from a plastic tub or, shudder, a green can. You’ll want authentic Parmesan-Reggiano if you can find it or the best chunk of Parmesan you can afford.
I’ve been making this since before I could cook very well and even then it got raves, genuine, not the kind with a qualifer. (”Gee, ella, this is really good. For you.”) It’s from the Magazine of La Cucina Italiana and can be made with chicken cutlets as well as turkey cutlets. My only warning is to use a very, very light touch with any salt; I don’t add a bit because the cheese and prosciutto have plenty.
Buon appetito!
Turkey Cutlets with Prosciutto and Parmesan
Adapted from La Cucina Italiana
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
4 turkey cutlets, approx 6 oz. each or a 1-pound pack
fresh-ground pepper
pinch of salt, if desired
1/4 tsp dried oregano
fresh-grated Parmesan-Reggiano, 1 to 2 TB per cutlet
4 thin slices prosciutto, preferably imported
Pat the cutlets dry with a paper towel or they’ll splatter like crazy when they hit the pan.
Season the cutlets on one side only with the pepper and oregano. Sprinkle with fresh-grated cheese. Place a slice of prosciutto on each.
In a large skillet, 12″ or larger, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s quite hot. Place the cutlets in the pan, prosciutto-side up, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes or until the cutlets are cooked through and the cheese is melted.
Serves 4
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I tried this last night, and it’s the first of your recipes I really didn’t favor. Even without added salt, it was too salty for my taste. I’ve read about washing ham to reduce salt – would that be workable here?
Also, it was quite dry. I suspect that’s my fault – I think I should have had the pan hotter to sear the cutlet and seal it, and I ended up cooking it a total of five minutes rather than four – that certainly could do it.
On the other hand, it’s a perfect, quick week night supper I’m thinking the cutlet could be the base for some other things, like a mix of caramelized onion and mushroom with smoked gouda on top. Anyhow, I’m going to try it again as it’s presented above and see if more careful cooking will improve it
If I still don’t like it, I’ll try some variations on the theme.
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Aww, I’m sorry to hear that, shore. Salt can be a problem, depending on the prosciutto. The fresher, the less salty they are since salt’s a preservative. If I’m buying a brand I’ve never tried I always ask for a sample for just that reason. There’s quite a variance. I’m not sure it’s worth going to trouble to find a different one. The cutlets can certainly be used as a jumping off point; I like your gouda/onion/shroom idea. It would also be good with more Parm and slices of garden-fresh tomatoes on top (I love lightly cooked or grilled tomatoes) and you could use a few leaves of fresh basil too if you have it. Endless possibilities.
Cutlets can overcook quickly and yours might also have been thinner than mine or the lid wasn’t as tight or both. They’re not dry at all when you nail the technique. Yep,hot pan!!
Hi, ella,
I made another run at this dish, and it came out much better. I made sure the pan was hot, and I was very precise with the timing. It wasn’t dry at all, and I think probably came close to what it was meant to be.
In the process, I decided the biggest problem I have with it is that I don’t like proscuitto! I’d never eaten it before, and honestly think it’s just one of those “taste” things that pops up now and then.
I did use the rest of the cutlets with several slices each of paperthin sliced homegrown tomato layed with sauteed minced garlic, basil and parmesan. They were delicious! It’s a great recipe for messing around with!
shoreacres’s last blog post..The Day Godot Arrived
Thanks for telling me, shore. It really is one of my favorite dishes and I’m delighted you not only gave it another chance, but found ways to make it your own. We are still months away from homegrown tomatoes here, so I envy you that addition and will give it a try.
You’re probably spot-on about the proscuitto. I’ve eaten it forever and like it, but I can see how it’s not to everyone’s taste. However
if you have some left over and don’t know what to do with it, a bacon-sized slice wrapped around a long slice of cantaloupe is divine! To me, anyway.
Mangia bene!