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Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe - America's Test Kitchen
Buy cutlets that are approximately 5 to 6 inches long. If the tip is too thin, trim back 1 to 2 inches to make the cutlet of uniform thickness. If cutlets are unavailable, you can make your own with four (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see “Cutting Your Own Cutlets,” related content). Although whole sage leaves make a beautiful presentation, they are optional and can be left out of step 3. Make sure to buy prosciutto that is thinly sliced, not shaved; also avoid slices that are too thick, as they won’t stick to the chicken.
Chicken Saltimbocca
Serves 4
Most recipes for chicken saltimbocca overcomplicate the dish with extraneous ingredients.
Our ideal was a quick and easy chicken dish that would keep the three key elements—chicken, prosciutto, and sage—in balance.
To make this recipe as streamlined as possible, we bought commercially prepared chicken cutlets and trimmed the edges to remove any thin, tattered pieces. We floured the cutlets, attached the ham, and sautéed the cutlets prosciutto-side down to keep the flour under the prosciutto from turning gummy. This procedure also sealed the ham to the chicken, removing any need for a toothpick to attach it. To keep the prosciutto from overpowering the chicken and sage flavors, we bought slices just thick enough to hold their shape—about the thickness of two or three sheets of paper—and trimmed them to fit on each cutlet in a single layer. Most recipes call for attaching a fried sage leaf to each cutlet, but this approach gave the final dish a weak and poorly distributed sage flavor. We solved the problem by simply chopping the leaves and sprinkling them over the floured cutlet before adding the ham. (You can fry extra sage leaves to place on the cooked cutlets as a garnish.) A quick pan sauce made from vermouth, lemon juice, butter, and parsley accentuated the perfect balance of flavors.
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