Chicken Saltimbocca

Lightly breading the chicken and putting a layer of freshly chopped sage between the chicken and prosciutto slices adds extra flavor. Spooning a simple pan sauce of white wine, lemon juice, butter and chopped fresh parsley over the chicken before serving really makes the dish, and the addition of a fried sage leaf adds an elegant touch. Definitely a keeper. Serves 4.

Recipe

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally and pounded to an even 1/4-inch thickness (or purchase pre-sliced thin chicken breasts)
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. minced fresh sage + 8 large leaves for garnish
8 thin prosciutto slices (approx. 3 oz.)
4 T. olive oil
1-1/4 c. white wine or dry vermouth
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 T. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1 T. fresh parsley leaves, minced

Combine the flour and 1 tsp. pepper in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Lay flat and sprinkle evenly with the minced sage. Put one prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere; it won’t really stick yet until it is cooked. Set aside.

Heat 2 T. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the 8 reserved sage leaves and cook until they begin to change color, 15-20 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside.

Cooking 4 cutlets at a time, add them to the pan, prosciutto side down, and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness of your cutlet — mine was a bit more than 1/4-inch so it took about 4 minutes). Turn over and cook 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Add another 2 T. oil and cook the remaining 4 cutlets. Transfer to the plate and keep tented with foil while preparing the sauce.

Pour off the excess fat from the skillet and stir in the wine (or vermouth), scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 c., 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 T. at a time. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and place a fried sage leaf on each cutlet.