Chicken Saltimbocca

In order to appreciate this dish fully, it's time for an Italian lesson:

Saltimbocca = jumps in the mouth
Deliziosi = delicious

Yes, Chicken Saltimbocca is delicious. It's full of flavor and... well... it's wonderful. Let's face it - the name is just cute.

Chicken and Lemon Saltimbocca
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted slightly
Total prep & cook time - about 20-25 min

INGREDIENTS
4 veal chops, pounded 1/2 to 1/4-inch thick (I used chicken breasts)
4 thin lemon slices
4 sage leaves, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped (I chopped flat leaf parsley instead of chopped sage)
4 large slices prosciutto
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 can) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place the chicken on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Place a slice of lemon on top of each. Top with 1 leaf of sage. Lay a large piece of prosciutto on each and press to seal. (I used toothpicks)

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the veal chops in the hot oil, lemon side down. Saute until the prosciutto starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Turn the veal over and saute for another 2 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a platter and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined and hot. Pour the sauce over the veal and top with the remaining 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage (I used parsley). Serve immediately.


I served this with the pasta side I made with Chicken Rollatini. It complimented the dish well.

Wiener Schnitzel

I was first introduced to schnitzel when I was 18 years old and touring Europe. I didn't actually visit Vienna on that trip, but I found schnitzel on the menu all over Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. I loved it at first bite and was determined to learn how to make it. I was wholly unsuccessful. Even two more trips to Austria didn't give me any deep insight how it's made. Then, about 6 years later, I attended an Austrian cooking class and got a recipe for it. I tried it and it tastes just like I remembered it tasting in Austria.



Wiener Schnitzel
Recipe from a chef from Austria (I don't remember his name)

4 veal cutlets (I normally use chicken, but veal is traditional)
Flour
salt
pepper
Unseasoned bread crumbs (use regular, not panko)
1 lemon wedge (optional)
Lard, for pan frying (I normally use vegetable oil, but lard is traditional)
2 eggs, beaten and mixed with a little water

Pound the cutlets as thin as you can. Literally, just wack the h#ll out of them.

Prepare three shallow dishes:

1. Bread crumbs (No set amount, just dump some in).
2. Eggs
3. Flour, seasoned with salt & pepper (again, no set amount - Just add some. You should be able to see pepper flecks in the flour.

Meanwhile, heat oil or lard in a pan over medium heat.

Dredge the cutlets in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg, and then the bread crumbs. Shake off any excess and pan fry about 3 min per side, or until the coating is a golden brown and internal chicken temperature is 160 degrees. Repeat with each cutlet. Briefly drain on paper towel.

Squeeze a tiny bit of lemon on each cutlet (I usually skip this because we don't regularly keep lemons).