I can’t believe I’ve just tried Chicken Saltimbocca for the very first time.
Much like with Bara Brith, this is another moment when I can’t believe I’ve lived this long (in Northern New Jersey, no less, with Italian genes) without ever tasting this classic Italian dish.
Sure, I’ve seen saltimbocca on menus before; it’s pretty much a staple for Italian restaurants. But, it’s never been a dish I wanted to eat.
I think I shied away from it because 1) saltimbocca is usually made with veal, and 2) it’s covered with prosciutto, which I’m not a fan of.
Well, no more, friends. NO MORE.
Once I swapped out the veal for chicken, I became an immediate saltimbocca convert.
The colors! The flavors! The textures! Everything about Chicken Saltimbocca is amazing.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner, indeed.
When it came to choosing a book-inspired recipe for Sunrise by the Sea, I was spoiled for choice (as the British say).
I usually crave a scone while reading a Jenny Colgan novel, but with this new story, I was desperate for all things Italian: fresh basil and grated cheese and tomatoes and garlic.
Guided by her Italian grandmother, main character Marisa cooks recipe after recipe for neighbor Alexei when she starts bringing him meals in exchange for piano lessons.
Saltimbocca, a classic and elegant Italian dish, plays a large part in Marisa and Alexei’s burgeoning friendship. When I looked up some recipes for it online, it just sounded SO FREAKIN’ GOOD that I had to make it for this post.
You’ve got chicken fried in butter and olive oil.
You’ve got crispy, salty prosciutto. (Which is delicious. I think everyone knew this but me.)
You’ve got fried sage leaves. (I didn’t even know that was a thing!)
And you have a decadent little Marsala sauce to drizzle over it all at the end.
We’re talking a symphony of flavor, colors, and textures all rolled into one delicious — and deceptively simple — Italian meal.
The ingredients and steps for making Chicken Saltimbocca are simple enough that you could whip this dinner up on a weeknight after work or school. But, don’t be afraid to trot this recipe out when you have company.
It’s bright and colorful, and there’s so much flavor that your dinner guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen making this instead of just 30 minutes.
Serve Chicken Saltimbocca with polenta like I did, or over pasta if you want to go full-on Italian Sunday supper.
I’m not gonna lie: this Italian classic is a decadent meal, with all that butter and cured pork. Don’t let the green sage on top fool you; Chicken Saltimbocca is not a health food.
But you won’t really care once your kitchen starts to smell AMAZING, and you REALLY won’t give a damn once you take your first bite. Because, YUM.
Blogger’s Note: These photos were taken using the Biscotti Linen surface from Replica Surfaces. I’m a Replica Surfaces Ambassador! Visit http://replicasurfaces.com/awellreadtart (affiliate link) to learn about this favorite brand of mine.
Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 oz fresh sage leaves
- 3 oz package of prosciutto
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup marsala cooking wine
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Place flour in a shallow dish for dredging. Set aside.
- Use a meat mallet to pound each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound as thin as you can without the meat tearing.
- Lightly season with salt (only a little is needed; prosciutto is salty) and pepper to taste.
- Divide the prosciutto among the chicken breasts, laying 1-2 slices over each chicken breast. Place 4-5 sage leaves on top of the prosciutto, then press down firmly to adhere sage to prosciutto, prosciutto to chicken.
- Carefully dredge the dressed chicken in the flour, holding sage leaves in place as much as possible. Shake off any excess flour, then set chicken breasts aside.
- Line a clean, large plate with a paper towel and set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2 pieces of dressed, floured chicken – sage/prosciutto side down – in the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on one side, until prosciutto is crispy and darkened and the chicken has been seared brown, then flip. Cook on the other side 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove cooked chicken to the paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
- Add another 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter to the skillet, then repeat the cooking process with the remaining two chicken breasts.
- Once the second batch of chicken is removed from the skillet, turn off the stove. Drain the butter and oil from the skillet, then return the skillet to the stovetop.
- Pour the marsala wine into the pan, THEN turn the stovetop heat on high. Deglaze the skillet with the marsala wine, scraping up any browned bits. Let simmer 1-2 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and let simmer on high heat for 3 minutes, until the mixture has reduced by half.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the remaining 1 ½ tbsp butter to the skillet until completely melted. Let marsala sauce simmer 1-2 more minutes, until slightly thickened. Transfer sauce to a small pitcher or bowl for serving with the Chicken Saltimbocca.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter and serve immediately; marsala sauce can be served on the side or drizzled on top. Great sides for Chicken Saltimbocca are polenta or pasta.
Darn it, this is making me hungry for bacon… 😋😋