Chicken Saltimbocca

My friend Karen and her friend Lori, who is now also my friend, arrived on Wednesday evening. We all embarked on our Western Colorado and Southeastern Utah journey early Friday morning. That gave us a full day and two dinners here at home before leaving. Karen had said she wanted something Italian for dinner. Easy-peasy. But I wanted to make something a little different than what we would normally think of as Italian food. So I made chicken saltimbocca with fettuccine Alfredo and vegetables and served it with my rosemary focaccia and a chilled white blend. Rosemary Focaccia

Chicken saltimbocca is thought to have originated in the days of the early Romans, in the area of Breschia, though no one knows for sure. Breschia is located in the Lombardian region in the Italian Alps. The term saltimbocca also spelled as saltinbocca, is an Italian term meaning “jumps in the mouth. Traditionally this dish is made with either chicken or veal that is wrapped with prosciutto and sage.

A little pre-dinner toast.

Chicken Saltimbocca

2 lbs chicken breast cutlets – if they are too thick, pound them out a bit with a meat tenderizer, if needed

salt & pepper to taste

fresh sage leaves

prosciutto cut into very thin slices

olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 stick butter

I cut my chicken breasts in 1/2 then seasoned them on both sides with both salt and pepper. Carefully wrap each cutlet with the prosciutto and 1 piece of sage tucked in to the prosciutto.

Get a large skillet very hot and add the oil and some of the butter, then carefully place each chicken cutlet into the mixture and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the juices in the center run clear and the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up all the browned chicken bits. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5 or so minutes. Add a bit more butter and cook until it is all melted and the sauce is creamy.

Once everything is done, spoon the sauce over each chicken cutlet and serve with your favorite side dish. I served it with fettuccine Alfredo and sauteed vegetables and rosemary focaccia.

Karen was my Sous Chef for the day’s meal.

Lori was supervising it all while enjoying a glass of wine before dinner.

Chicken saltimbocca is not a dish found in most Italian restaurants. It is a Northern Italian dish. Most Italian restaurants feature foods from the Southern regions. On our last night of our travels, we dined at Scileppi’s, Dinner at the Church, and ironically they offered chicken salimbocca on the menu. But more on that later.

We all had a delicious dinner followed by fun and games and trip planning for our upcoming adventures.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.