Vitello alla Letizia

Pound the veal cutlets until thin. Sprinkle them with a little water, then cover top and bottom with plastic wrap. (Without the water, the cutlets will break.)

Brush eggplant with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Put grilling pan over high heat. Char lightly on both sides. Take off heat and hold on the side.

Remove wrap from veal. Season veal with salt and pepper, sprinkle a little flour on them and shake off excess. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook veal until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add splash of wine, grated ginger, chopped garlic and chicken stock to hot pan. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove veal from pan. When stirred with a fork, the flour left in the bottom of the pan, combined with the stock and wine, will thicken and become creamy.

This dish is layered, like a Napoleon or pyramid. To serve, put one slice of grilled eggplant on top of golden brown veal. Then put shaved dry ricotta (or any other cheese) on top of the eggplant. Repeat until you have a single, multilayered eggplant, veal and cheese creation. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil or any herb you like. Pour creamy pan juices over the top. Serve immediately. Serves 1.

Tip from the chef:

"This is a very easy dish to prepare. Don't put too much flour on the veal, and cook it quickly over medium heat. The temperature must be medium -- not high or low -- or the flour will stick. It turns out to be a very moist dish because of the ricotta, which is available at an Italian specialty store like DiBruno, Claudio or Talluto. People love it."

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