When Frank Grace was 15 years old, he was recruited off a fishing pier on the southern shore of Long Island to scrub pots and pans at a popular shorefront restaurant. It was the start of a career in restaurant work which has spanned 38 years to date. Grace attended the Johnson & Wales College for Culinary Arts and has worked in more than 15 restaurants in southeastern Connecticut over the course of his career. As the owner of Frank’s Gourmet Grille in Mystic, he brings together a professional staff, an inviting atmosphere and a love for exceptional food. He shares here a recipe for one of their most popular dishes.

Veal Marsala with Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

Whole butter

2 teaspoons soybean oil

4 ounces top round of veal

Seasoned all purpose flour

Salt and pepper

Minced shallots

Mushrooms (Oyster, Crimini, Shitake and Button)

properly prepared and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Marsala wine

Demi-glace (veal stock reduction)

And lots of love

Directions

Prepare 4 ounces of top-round veal cutlets. Use four cutlets for two dinners. Add salt and pepper to the flour and dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour. In a sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon of butter and 2 teaspoons of oil until it is almost smoking hot. Gently lay down the cutlets in hot pan. Add salt and pepper. Brown the cutlets, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Add shallots and mushrooms. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are fork-tender. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of Marsala wine and reduce by 3/4. Scrape all little “yummies” that stuck to pan. Once reduced, add 4 ounces of demi-glace and 2 tablespoons of butter and mix together on low heat. Serve immediately.

Frank’s Gourmet Grille

56 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic

860-415-4666 * franksgourmetgrilleinmystic.com