Big Joe shares his special chicken saltimbocca

I was out at a restaurant in Little Italy in Manhattan recently and I tried their saltimbocca. It was good but I was a little disappointed with the sauce which had a washed-out flavor. I know it was a while since I last shared this recipe with you so I thought we’d post this for you now.

Saltimbocca’s origin dates to early Roman times. It is known as a Roman dish but the true marinade for the dish was sage wine and olive oil but has variations depending on what part of Italy you are making the dish as sage and the taste of good olive oil varies by region.

There are times when I get this dish at restaurants and it’s a little tough, so be careful not to overcook or undercook your chicken. As most saltimbocca dishes use veal, which is the traditional protein in this dish, I am using chicken for mass appeal. Please feel free to substitute veal for the chicken in this dish. I use provolone in this recipe which has in my opinion a much better taste than mozzarella. Provolone has a buttery finish which goes great with the flavors of sage and prosciutto in this dish. If you can’t detect that hint of sage add more but be careful, too much sage can be very overpowering, and you’ll lose the flavor of the remainder of the dish. Enjoy this gift from Rome. Mangia!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 slices Prosciutto

4 slices provolone

1/2 tsp. dried sage

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. snipped parsley

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup white wine

How to put it together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness.

Place 1 slice of Prosciutto and 1 slice of Provolone cheese on each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with sage. Tuck in sides, roll up, and secure with toothpicks.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Dip chicken rolls in melted butter, then in crumb mixture. Arrange in baking dish. Pour white wine into the bottom of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Put chicken under the broiler for another 5 minutes if desired to make the breadcrumbs crispier and browner. If desired spoon leftover wine sauce on the bottom of the baking dish over chicken (or side dishes too) for extra flavor. Take your time with this dish and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the great flavors in this dish. Servings: 4

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.