Ostrich Saltimbocca (Anniversary Dinner)

Hey Guys,

Cooked this dish for my girlfriend last night for our anniversary! It is a recipe (Veal Saltimbocca) from Master Chef  Australia with a South African twist! I also added another twist, using basil leaves instead of Sage. Here is the instructions to make it:

Ingredients:

500g Ostrich loin, sliced into 4 escalopes
20 Basil leaves
4 slices of prosciutto
plain flour, for dusting
2 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tbs baby capers, rinsed and drained
40g unsalted butter
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
¼ cup white wine
handful of baby spinach
lemon cheeks, to serve
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method

Step 1: Place ostrich slices between two sheets of cling wrap and carefully pound with meat mallet to about 8mm thick.

Step 2: Press 2 basil leaves onto each ostrich piece. Lay prosciutto slices onto a clean work surface and place ostrich, sage-side down onto each slice of prosciutto (ensuring the basil is wrapped under prosciutto).

Step 3: Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Add wrapped ostrich pieces to the flour and toss to coat, shaking off any excess.

Step 4: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add ostrich to the pan, sage- side down, then add the garlic, capers and butter. Once the butter is foaming add the cherry tomatoes and turn the ostrich over to cook for a further minute. Add remaining basil to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until cherry tomatoes start to soften. Remove ostrich from the pan, set aside and keep warm.

Step 5: Add white wine to the pan. Using a fork, carefully squash half the tomatoes into the sauce. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Season to taste.

Step 6: Spoon sauce with the squashed tomatoes onto serving plate, top with saltimbocca ostrich and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with lemon cheeks.

Serves 4 

Lekker eet! Bon appétit!