July 8, 2009 | Meat & Poultry

It’s natural to lighten up our meals in the summertime, so chicken is a good choice of meat,but unfortunately, it gets boring. My husband loves, loves, loves veal saltimbocca, so I created this chicken version of the dish after our last trip to Italy. My recipe calls for searing the chicken in a skillet first, which helps the prosciutto crisp up and adhere to the chicken so that you can remove the toothpicks before proceeding. The Italians wouldn’t traditionally use cheese on this, but he likes it that way so I let a piece melt over top in the oven. Gotta make him happy!

Chicken Saltimbocca
Serves 8

8 boneless chicken breast halves without skin
8 thin slices of prosciutto
16 large fresh sage leaves
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
4 provolone cheese slices, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper until 1/4 inch thick. Lay two sage leaves and a slice of prosciutto on each. Fold in half and secure with a toothpick, then dredge in the seasoned flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then add chicken breasts, searing until browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Work in two batches to avoid crowding in the pan. Remove browned chicken to a large oven-safe baking dish. Add shallots to the pan and stir until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add Marsala and chicken stock and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add parsley and butter, then pour sauce over chicken breasts. Top each piece of chicken with 1/2 slice of provolone cheese and bake until chicken is full cooked through and cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes.