This is one of my all time favourite Italian dishes. I believe saltimbocca translates to ‘jump in the mouth’, and boy does it! Succulent meat seasoned with fresh sage leaves and wrapped in prosciutto, then quickly pan-fried before being served lovingly bathed in a sauce made from garlic, more sage, lemon and butter. Chicken saltimbocca is a fabulous combination.Â
Traditionally saltimbocca is made with veal, and if I’m completely honest, that would be my preference. But the right cut of veal is notoriously difficult to come by down here in New Zealand. Our organic butcher does stock veal, but generally only in mid to late spring and you have to get in quick. The back-up, non-organic butcher has veal available for more of the year, but often just large cuts or roasts with the bone in, and almost always pre-frozen. This dish is all about speed so you really need a super fresh fillet or escalope of veal to do it justice. Its just ticked over into Autumn here at the bottom of the world so veal was nowhere to be found.
Its such a delicious and quick meal, we couldn’t do without it until next spring, so it was important to find a substitute for the veal. We decided to use chicken and I’m pleased to say it was most delicious so I’d happily use chicken again.
I used chicken thighs, as usual, due to their superior flavour and moistness, but if you prefer to use breast meat you can do so, just slice it in half horizontally so you have two thin fillets from each breast. I can’t say enough positive things about this meal, so you’ll just have to try saltimbocca for yourself.
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Serves: 4
- 8 chicken thigh fillets, boneless and skinless
- 24 fresh sage leaves
- 8 slices prosciutto
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- oil, for pan-frying
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- juice of one lemon
- 50g cold butter
- Lay a large sheet of cling wrap on to the bench or a chopping board and spread the chicken thighs on top, leaving space between each thigh. Lay another sheet of cling wrap on top and pound the chicken with a mallet or heavy pan until it is even and approx. 1cm thick.
- Peel back the top layer of cling wrap. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Press 3 sage leaves on to the top of each piece of chicken.
- Lay a slice of prosciutto on top. Put the cling wrap back over the top and gently press the prosciutto into the chicken with the mallet or heavy pan. Note: if your prosciutto is larger than the chicken you can either trim it to fit neatly on top, or wrap it around. Ensure it doesn't overlap, so there is only one layer of prosciutto over the chicken.
- Add a dash of oil to a large fry pan and heat the pan over a medium heat. Lay the chicken into the pan, sage leaf side down first, and pan fry for 4-5 minutes until the prosciutto is brown. Carefully turn the chicken over and cook through. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.
- Once all the chicken is cooked, add the garlic and chopped sage to the same pan and cook for a couple of minutes until the garlic starts to colour. Pour on the lemon juice and let it bubble for a minute. Stir in the butter until melted. Turn off the heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.
 
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