Saltimbocca alla Romana

Saltimbocca is one of the most classic dishes in Italy. Made with thinly slices pieces of veal or chicken and topped with prosciutto, it is a close relative of the Chicken Scaloppini Bolognese from a few weeks ago. So if you really enjoyed that dish and have already made it several times (Mom, I'm looking at you), this dish will be a great alternate to add to your recipe collection.

Generally, this recipe is made with veal, but like in the past, I used chicken instead. Aside from changing the cooking time a little, this substitution did little to change the recipe. The prosciutto (which we've seen before) and the sage work wonderfully with the chicken. Now, in researching this dish I also found some varying accounts on how it is actually cooked. Some recipes claim that saltimbocca is rolled up and secured with toothpicks, while others claim that rolling it makes this dish a rollatini, and should instead be cooked flat with the sage and prosciutto pinned to it to keep them in place. So, I decided to try it both ways. Though I enjoy the rolled up version, it is much simpler to cook the flat pieces. Give it a shot and decide for yourself!

Option 1 - Leave the chicken flat

Option 2 - Roll the chicken

Sorry for the crappy pictures. My photographer was out last night.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Adapted from Food Network

-Serves 4-

Ingredients:

4 thin slices of chicken

4 slices prosciutto

4 fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons white wine

1/4 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Process:

On each piece of chicken, place a slice of prosciutto. Place a sage leaf in the middle of each piece of chicken. If cooking the saltimbocca flat, thread a toothpick through the chicken, prosciutto, and sage to pin them together. If rolling the saltimbocco, roll the chicken up and secure with a toothpick (again, thread it through rather than just piercing the saltimbocca so that you can easily brown it).
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken. For the flat pieces: cook the chicken prosciutto side down first to crisp up the ham. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until done, depending on thickness. Remove to a plate. For the rolled pieces: cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown all over. Move to a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
After removing the chicken from the pan, add the wine to deglaze. Scrape all of the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and last tablespoon of butter. Let simmer for several minutes to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Put the chicken on a serving plate and pour the sauce over top. Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Saltimbocca alla Romana - N/A. Ryan didn't have any of this last night, so I'll have to update this with his rating tomorrow after he has some of the leftovers!