Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Chicken Saltimbocca

This is definitely my new favorite chicken dish.  I found this recipe in a cookbook that I got for Christmas which I absolutely love, it's the Cooks Illustrated cookbook and I think it literally has every recipe you could possibly want.  Normally this dish is made with veal, but chicken was readily available so I went with that.  When I made this I was planning on just making it for my dad and I, but he called me last minute informing me we were having company over and luckily it's easy enough that the extra servings were no problem to make. 


Chicken Saltimbocca
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 (6-8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed, trimmed
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
8 thin slices prosciutto
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 tsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Halve the chicken horizontally (as if you were butterflying it open, but cut all the way through) then cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with meat pounder or saute pan.  Combine flour and 1 tsp pepper in a shallow dish. 
Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess and transfer to work surface.  Sprinkle cutlets evenly with minced sage.  Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet, covering sage, and press lightly to help it adhere.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.  Place 4 cutlets, prosciutto side down, and cook over medium high heat until golden brown on first side, about 3 minutes.  (By placing the chicken prosciutto side down, the fat from the ham is released which helps it stick to the chicken - this is why we don't use toothpicks in this recipe).  Flip cutlets, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook until no longer pink and slightly browned on second side, about 2 minutes longer.  Transfer cutlets to large platter and cover with foil to keep warm.  Wipe out skillet with paper towels.  Repeat with remaining 2 Tbsp oil and remaining four cutlets, and transfer to platter. 
For the Sauce: Pour off all fat left in the skillet.  Add vermouth, scraping up any browned bits.  Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice.  Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately. 

Bon Appetit!