This is the Ultimate Saltimbocca recipe that meets that criteria and more. Moist delicate chicken wrapped in thinly sliced Prosciutto, nestled on a bed of garlic spinach, blanketed with a deep satisfying mushroom sauce and topped with a layer of melted cheese! Oh yeah, baby! Welcome home!
Saltimbocca is a “Perfect Dish”
A great recipe to have at your finger tips should be easy enough to whip up after a long day at work and yet so delicious you’d be proud to serve it at a dinner party. This is THAT recipe!
You might call a “Perfect Dish” an “Ultimate Recipe” or a “Best Recipe.” Well, in my book, this elusive beauty comprises of at least 4 out of 5 things listed below.
- It has got to really good! I’m talking like macaroni and cheese good, not some high-and-mighty-pinky-in-the-air-I’ve-got-to-get-use-to-this-concoction good. I’m talking soul food good!
- You can make it within an hour. It gets BIG points if you can make in in 30 minutes.
- None of the ingredients come from a box.
- For savory dishes, if the main ingredient is taken out completely or switched out the dish is still wonderful and doesn’t lose it’s integrity..
- If it’s not low carb, it can easily be transformed into a low carb version.
In a nutshell, it’s got to be delicious, fast, healthy, and versatile.
Season the flour with salt and spices.
I learned how to make Saltimbocca from Ian, a retired English chef and restauranteur who now resides in Ajijic, Mexico. He gives a small group demonstration cooking class in his home kitchen every now and then. Since Ian is so fun to watch, has great stories, excellent tips, and of course his food is out of this world, I attend his class every chance I get.
Press a sage leaf onto both sides of chicken and wrap in Prosciutto.
Dredge in seasoned flour and refrigerate for a 1/2 hour.
He gives everyone who attends his class a packet with all the recipes and a pencil for you to take notes. At first glance, the Saltimbocca recipe looks intimidating. However, once you get into it, it’s no big deal.
What the heck is Saltimbocca?
Saltimbocca is an Italian dish that literally means: jump in your mouth. And when Italians give a name to a dish that literally tells you to put it in your mouth, it’s best to pay attention. Italians know food.
Sear each side until golden brown.
This is thinly sliced chicken breast with a sage leaf pressed into both sides, wrapped in prosciutto, lightly dusted with flour and sautéed. Then it is nested on top of slightly wilted baby spinach, covered with a mushroom marsala sauce and blanketed in cheese. Oh my God, I’m going to cry. I want to eat this so much right now.
Lay chicken on a bed of baby spinach lightly wilted with garlic.
Does Saltimbocca qualify as a “Perfect Dish?”
Yes, it does and here’s why.
- I’m teary eyed right now thinking about how good it is. Delicious?… Double check!
- If this is your first time making it, it might take you a full hour to pull it together. Typically, I make this is about 40 minutes. Fast? Check!
- No ingredient comes from a box. Healthy? Check!
- If you make this without the chicken, it’s still amazing. Substituting portobello mushrooms for the chicken breast… excellent! Or you can use a thinly pounded pork tenderloin… very good! Versatility?… Check!
- So low carb! Check!
Cheese glorious cheese!
There’s something really fun about making a meal with a fancy name, especially when it’s this easy. When you make this, and I really hope you do soon, maybe serve it up with a side of pasta, rice or cauliflower “rice,” a green salad, and a pinot noir. Enjoy!
Saltimbocca – Jump in your mouth!
Saltimbocca
Jump in Your Mouth divine! Juicy tender chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto and smothered in cheese and mushroom sauce. So good and super easy! | www.lakesidetable.com
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast boneless and skinless
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 8 sage leaves fresh
- 2 cups Italian cheese blend shredded
SPINACH
- 8 ounces baby spinach fresh
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
FLOUR MIX
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sage ground
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano ground
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
MUSHROOM SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 1 cup Marsala
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2-3 tablespoons butter unsalted and softened
- 2 tablespoons flour*
- salt and pepper
Equipment
- 1 casserole dish
- 1 saute pan
- 1 cookie sheet
- measuring spoons and cups
- 1 gallon zip lock bag
- 1 meat mallet
- knife and cutting board
- 1 shallow pan
- tongs
- whisk
Instructions
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Put 1 chicken breast in the zip lock bag and with the smooth side of the meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
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Press a sage leaf into each side of each chicken breast and wrap with 2 pieces of prosciutto.
MAKE FLOUR MIX
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In the shallow pan mix 2 cups of flour with salt, ground sage, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Dredge prosciutto wrapped chicken through the seasoned flour and place on the cookie sheet.
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Refrigerate chicken for at least 20 minutes. (This helps the prosciutto stick to the chicken when it's cooking).
WILT SPINACH
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Heat the sauté pan on medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add garlic. Wait 2 minutes to flavor the oil, then add spinach. Turn the spinach over with tongs to lightly wilt, approximately 2 minutes. Put spinach in the bottom of the casserole dish and set aside.
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After chicken has rested in the refrigerator, heat the sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté chicken for approximately 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Place chicken on top of spinach.
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Cover chicken with cheese and keep warm in the oven while you make the mushroom sauce. Set oven temperature to 200 degrees.
MUSHROOM SAUCE
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Heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until they release their liquid and lightly brown. Add Marsala and reduce by half. Add chicken stock.
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Mix butter and flour together to make a paste. Whisk this into the sauce. Turn the heat up and whisk constantly until sauce thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste. Pour mushroom sauce over chicken and cheese. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees for up to 1 hour.
Recipe Notes
*If you don't want to use flour, create a slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3 tablespoons COLD water. Stir this into the sauce, turn up the heat and whisk constantly until sauce thickens.
