Veal scallopini with mushroom and brandy cream sauce

I (Michelle) have always loved veal, especially thin scallopini. I love substituting veal for chicken to make some of our super-easy everyday chicken recipes a little fancier - piccata especially- and for a special treat I will modify Rochester's (in)famous "Chicken French" preparation.

We experimented with a couple of versions of this dish before adding, subtracting, altering and ending up with this easy, elegant, rich recipe.

Flour

Pepper

Butter

1T olive oil

2 4 oz veal cutlets, pounded to 1/4" thickness OR one package of veal scallopini

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1c shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

1 c brandy

1T beef base

1 c chicken stock

1/2 c heavy cream

Dry the veal thoroughly, then pepper to taste and coat with flour.

Heat 1T butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veal and saute until brown on each side and cooked through. Transfer the veal to a plate and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan add the onion and saute until translucent (you may need to add a little more butter here). Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the brandy. Ignite (if that's what you are into!) and carefully let brandy evaporate. If you choose not to flame it, simmer until it is almost completely evaporated. Add the beef stock and chicken stock and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a boil. If the veal has not stayed warm enough, put back in the pan for 1-2 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the veal. Tonight we paired this dish with steamed asparagus sprinkled with a little sea salt and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

Enjoy!