This is a chicken saltimbocca recipe, but this technique can be extended to so much more. You can do it with chicken. You can do it with pork tenderloin or loin pounded thin. You can vary the fillings – maybe spinach, chopped nuts, apple, a tapenade, a variety of herbs. You could add some apple cider to the wine if you’re doing an apple filling. The sky’s the limit! The great thing about this technique is it always produces super tender meat with a tasty sauce. And the filling just makes it that much more yummy. You often see the meat rolled and held together by toothpicks, but my husband likes to make these just by folding them over into what he calls a “packet”. Less fuss and no toothpicks to remove when you’re done.
The Technique
The basic technique is to pound the meat thin, which tenderizes it, layer your fillings, fold over to form the packet and then dredge in flour – sweet rice flour to make it gluten free, which will brown nicely and also help thicken the sauce. Brown the packets quickly over fairly high heat and then braise in the wine at a simmer. You’ve got an elegant delicious entrée in about 40 minutes, with the last 20 minutes free to assemble the rest of the meal.
Chicken Saltimbocca
In this chicken saltimbocca version of “packets”, the salty prosciutto, savory sage, creamy cheese and tangy Dijon mustard, which mellows with cooking, come together perfectly. If you’re dairy sensitive, Daiya brand mozzarella, which is made from tapioca will work well. Just layer in as many shreds as you like.
- 2 chicken breasts
- 4-8 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 slices prosciutto
- 2 slices reduced fat cheese of your choice: provolone, mozzarella or Swiss all work well (If you’re dairy sensitive use Daiya mozzarella shreds.)
- 8 sage leaves
- ⅔ cup sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour – found at Asian markets)
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Lay chicken breasts flat and cut through them horizontally making 2 thinner halves from each.
- Lay them out on a board covered with plastic wrap and cover with a layer of plastic wrap (to minimize the mess).
- Pound them to a thickness of ¼ inch.
- Spread 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard over each piece, according to your taste.
- Layer ½ slice prosciutto, ½ slice cheese and 2 sage leaves near one end of each piece about ¼ - ½ inch in from the edge and fold the other half of the piece over on top.
- Mix sweet rice flour and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Dredge the breast “packets” in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
- Add the packets and brown on both sides.
- Add wine and cook a minute or two scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spatula to release browned bits.
- Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer 20 minutes.
- Spoon wine sauce over packets to serve.
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