Chicken Saltimbocca

This started as a Giada De Laurentis recipe.  She says on her website that “Saltimbocca” means “leap in your mouth”.  The flavor of this dish will definitely want to make you leap for joy!  Giada also says that traditionally this dish is made in Italy with veal, but she prefers to substitute the chicken.

I did make some very slight alterations to the cooking method, stuffing and sauce.  Originally I cooked the chicken according to the directions – but the chicken didn’t really brown up.  So, I’ve changed the directions in my version slightly.  This was fairly easy to make and so incredibly full of flavor.  We all just loved it!  Refreshing and light.  You can prepare the chicken rolls and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.

Ingredients

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 paper-thin slices prosciutto

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and all liquid squeezed out

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 slices of provolone

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup of dry white wine

1 Tablespoon corn starch

3 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon butter

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the thawed spinach to remove the excess water.  In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Place a slice of provolone over the top.  Fold the provolone in half so that it doesn’t stick out of the chicken. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick – or tie with twine.  (I opted to tie them.) Note: at this point you can place the chicken on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.  Remove from fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.   Remove the chicken and place on a platter.

Add the chicken broth, wine and lemon juice to the pan, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium.

Place the cornstarch in a small bowl, add the water, and mix well.  Add this mixture to the sauce to thicken.

Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Continue to simmer the cooking liquid over high heat – add more cornstarch and water if it needs further thickening.  If too thick, add a little water or chicken broth.

Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste; add the butter and stir to melt and combine.

Remove toothpicks from the chicken (or cut the twine).  Drizzle a bit of the sauce over the chicken; place the remaining sauce in a serving bowl.  Serve immediately and await your guests rave reviews!

Click here for printable recipe.