Chicken Saltimbocca (Prosciutto and Sage Italian Chicken Sauté)
Quick answer
Chicken saltimbocca is an Italian preparation that layers fresh sage leaves and cured prosciutto over pounded chicken breast, sears the whole assembly in one pan, and fin...
What makes this special
- Sage and prosciutto are pressed onto pounded breast and cooked as one layer; cold butter finishes the wine pan sauce.
- Prosciutto fused to chicken skin renders salty pork fat directly into the meat
- Sage pressed under prosciutto releases deep herb aroma without bitterness
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Cut the 2 chicken breasts open into thin cutlets, then pound the thicker are...
- 2 Divide the sage leaves over the chicken, then cover the pieces with the 4 slices of prosciutto.
- 3 Dust only the side without prosciutto with the 3 tablespoons flour, then sha...
Chicken saltimbocca is an Italian preparation that layers fresh sage leaves and cured prosciutto over pounded chicken breast, sears the whole assembly in one pan, and finishes the plate with a sauce reduced from white wine, chicken stock, and cold butter. The name translates from Italian as 'jumps in the mouth,' which captures how the salty intensity of prosciutto and the resinous punch of sage announce themselves against the neutral backdrop of the chicken breast. Dusting only the bare underside with flour before placing it prosciutto-side up in the pan creates a light crust on the floured surface while the prosciutto crisps directly against the heat and the sage leaf fries in the rendered fat between the meats. Deglazing with white wine lifts all the caramelized fond from the pan base, and simmering it down with chicken stock by roughly half concentrates the liquid into a sauce with real body. Whisking cold butter in small pieces into the reduced sauce off the heat emulsifies it into a glossy, smooth coating that pools around the chicken on the plate. Pounding the breast to a uniform thickness before cooking ensures it cooks evenly without drying out the thinner edges.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Cut the 2 chicken breasts open into thin cutlets, then pound the thicker areas until each piece is about 1 cm thick.
Season both sides evenly with the salt and black pepper so the chicken cooks at the same pace.
- 2Control
Divide the sage leaves over the chicken, then cover the pieces with the 4 slices of prosciutto.
Press gently with your palm so the layers adhere, but avoid tearing the prosciutto or pushing the sage out.
- 3Control
Dust only the side without prosciutto with the 3 tablespoons flour, then shake off the excess so it does not taste pasty.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the floured side first for about 2 1/2 minutes.
- 4Finish
When the edges turn opaque and the underside is light golden, flip the cutlets carefully.
Cook the prosciutto side for about 2 minutes, just until crisp and fragrant, then transfer the chicken to a plate before it dries out.
- 5Control
If there is too much fat in the pan, spoon off a little, then pour in the 120 ml white wine.
Boil over high heat for about 1 minute while scraping the browned bits until the sharp alcohol smell softens.
- 6Finish
Add the 120 ml chicken stock and simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid reduces by about half.
Lower the heat, whisk in the cold butter in pieces, return the chicken for 2 minutes to glaze, then plate with the sauce.
After the steps
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Veal Saltimbocca (Italian Veal Cutlets Dish)
To prepare veal saltimbocca, the process begins by pounding the veal cutlets until they reach a very thin consistency. Achieving this specific thickness is necessary because veal has a tendency to become tough quite rapidly when it is exposed to heat for an extended duration. To maintain a tender texture, the total cooking time for each individual piece should be kept strictly under two or three minutes. Each prepared cutlet is topped with one fresh sage leaf and a single slice of prosciutto, which are then pressed down firmly by hand. This manual pressure allows the layers to bond so that the prosciutto adheres to the veal without the requirement for toothpicks or other mechanical fasteners. The assembled cutlets receive a light dusting of flour before being placed into a preheated pan for searing. It is effective to begin the cooking process with the prosciutto side facing down in the pan, as the direct heat fuses the cured meat directly to the veal cutlet. After the meat has been quickly seared and removed from the pan, white wine is poured onto the hot surface. This liquid serves to lift the caramelized bits of fond from the bottom of the pan to create a flavor base. Incorporating butter into this wine reduction allows the liquid to emulsify into a sauce that has a glossy and light consistency. During the cooking, the sage leaf remains trapped between the meat and the prosciutto, infusing the veal with a distinct herbal fragrance that balances the saltiness of the cured ham.
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