Saltimbocca is an Italian dish typically made from thinly sliced veal, pan fried and topped with crispy prosciutto and sage, then served with a white wine and butter pan sauce. I made a chicken version and I really loved it. This dish is very simple, but each component adds a bright flavor and fried sage is truly a culinary wonder.
It is important for any meat used in the dish to have it thinly cut and tenderized because it is meant to be cooked quickly. I cut my chicken breasts in half horizontally, and then pounded them out with a meat tenderizer before sprinkling with salt and pepper and attaching the prosciutto and sage with a toothpick. The bottom of the meat is dipped in flour, and then it is seared in a skillet until the prosciutto crispy and the bottom is nicely browned. A very simple sauce is made by deglazing the pan with white wine and whisking in butter.
I served this with fondant potatoes and some wilted spinach. Would also be great over pasta or rice.
Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally and pounded out – you should have 12 pieces at the end
- 12 slices prosciutto
- oil
- salt and pepper
- 12 sage leaves
- 1/2 cup flour
For the sauce:
- 1 cup white wine dry like pinot grigio
- 8 tbsp cold butter
Instructions
- Halve and pound out the chicken pieces. Salt and pepper them and then lay a piece of prosciutto and sage on top and secure with a toothpick. Heat a few tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium high and dip the bottom of the chicken in flour.
- Place the chicken pieces prosciutto side down in the skillet and cook, unmoving for about 1.5 minutes or so until the sage and prosciutto are crispy. Flip and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through, another 2-3 minutes depending on how thick the pieces are. You may need to turn the heat down during this step.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil while you make the sauce. Keep the skillet over the heat and add the wine. Scrape up the browned bits and boil for a minute. Whisk in the cold butter until creamy. The sauce will thicken as it cools a little. Plate the chicken and drizzle sauce over the top, serving with more on the side.