Chicken Saltimbocca with Sauteed Spinach

This classic dish was featured on our Quarantine Kitchen Live Episode 3 on April 11, 2020. We loved cooking along with everyone who joined us on Zoom. We appreciate everyone for the support! If you missed it here is the recipe with step-by-step instructions to recreate the dish. Don’t forget to pair it with our 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay!

The light and crisp with green apple flavors of our 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay prove to be the perfect complement to the salty and savory notes of the prosciutto on the Chicken Saltimbocca. The sage and rich flavors of butter with the chicken will leave your palate wanting more of the Chardonnay.

Ingredients List:

• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 4 oz cutlets
• 14 leaves sage, 8 whole and 6 chopped
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 4 oz low moisture mozzarella (Galbani is great if you can find it)
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (Unoaked Chardonnay from Bricoleur Vineyards is the best choice!)
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter (Clover Unsalted Butter)
• 1 5oz package of washed baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Flour for dusting
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay

Equipment List:

• 2 large saute pans
• 1 cutting board
• 1 sharp chef knife
• 1 meat mallet/tenderizer (a rolling pin or saute pan can be used)
• 1 whisk
• 1 oven set to broil
• 1 citrus juicer
• Plastic wrap

Directions:

For the Chicken:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into (4) 4 oz cutlets
14 sage leaves
4 slices prosciutto
4 oz low moisture mozzarella (G’albani is great if you can find it)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
½ cup chicken broth or stock
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
Salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Flour for dusting
Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Preheat broiler to 550. Carefully cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally as even as you can. Cut a piece of plastic wrap roughly double the size of the chicken breast and place on counter or cutting board. One at a time, place pieces of chicken breast on the plastic wrap and fold the excess plastic wrap over the breast. With a meat tenderizer (an empty wine bottle or rolling pin will work fine), gently pound the breast until it is uniformly about ¼” thick.

Remove the 14 sage leaves from the stems. Reserve 8 larger leaves for later. Chop fine remaining 6 sage leaves. Season chicken breast with salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and chopped sage. If you don’t have fresh a small sprinkling of dry will work. Place seasoned chicken breasts on a small sheet tray and wrap one side with one slice of prosciutto, tucking excess onto the other side. In the center of the prosciutto press one of the reserved sage leaves. In a small plate or tray place roughly ½ – 1 cup of flour. Season flour with salt and pepper. One by one, carefully dip each side of each chicken/prosciutto/sage package in the flour, gently shaking off the excess. After each breast is floured, return to their tray and set aside while completing the remaining prep.

Now is a good time to clean counters and cutting boards that came into contact with chicken and wash your hands. Next, cut shallot in half and remove the skin. Mince shallot as fine as you can get it. Peel your clove of garlic and slice very thin, as if you were Paul Sorvino in Goodfellas. Cut mozzarella into thick slices. Next, place a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan. Just before olive oil is smoking hot, turn the heat down a little bit to low-medium. Places two of the chicken breasts in the hot oil, prosciutto and sage side down. Cook for roughly 3-4 minutes, until deep golden brown. Using a spatula, flip chicken breasts and cook other side for roughly 3 minutes until golden brown. Repeat this with the remaining 2 chicken breasts and place all 4 in an ovenproof tray. Turn heat off to the saute pan. Place mozzarella slices on top of the prosciutto side of breast and place on the middle rack under your broiler. Remove after 3-4 minutes once the cheese is melted and golden brown.

While the cheese is melting you can make your sauce. In the same pan you cooked the chicken breast in, return burner to low heat. Add shallot and garlic to the pan and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon, scraping any browned bits that are on the bottom of your pan. After the shallot and garlic start to cook and the shallot becomes slightly translucent, add white wine and turn heat to medium-high. When wine is almost completely evaporated, add chicken stock and juice of 1 lemon. Reduce until it cooks down a little over halfway and, using a whisk, whisk in the butter.

Season with salt and pepper.

For the Spinach:

1 5oz package washed baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place a large saute pan over medium heat. Put olive oil and garlic in the pan while it is still cool and gently bring up to temperature until golden garlic is starting to sizzle. Add spinach and juice of 1 lemon. Stir with a spoon or spatula until spinach just starts to wilt. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

To Finish:

Place spinach in the center of a large plate. Put the 4 pieces of chicken on top and around the spinach. Make sure sauce is warm and pour over the top of the chicken.