Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then place 3 fresh sage leaves on the top of each cutlet. Separately, line up 4 thin slices (2 oz total) of pancetta (or prosciutto de Parma) and slice in half, lengthwise. Wrap each chicken breast with 2 pancetta strips each, securing the sage leaves tightly. Heat a large pan with olive oil, then add the chicken cutlets (I cooked two at a time). Brown on each side, making sure each piece is cooked through. Set aside the cutlets.
Mix ¼ cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup chicken broth, and ½ tsp cornstarch, then pour mixture into pan to create a sauce. Scrape the browned bits from the pan and let the sauce heat for about 1 minute. Serve the sauce with the cutlets. This recipe is from Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca,
available on Cooking Light’s website: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/quick-easy-italian-recipes/lemony-chicken-saltimbocca-recipe. (Apr. 2014)
Note: We often increase the pancetta/prosciutto to full slices, wrapping 1 or ½ thinly sliced sheets to enrobe each cutlet and a few sage leaves. For 4 cutlets, you would use ¼ lb pancetta/prosciutto.
Note 2: When pan-searing, heat the pan (we use a large metal All-Clad, high-walled sauté pan), add enough oil to cover the surface, and wait for the oil to heat (you can tell when the oil looks a little swirly). Place each enrobed cutlet, backside down (the side with untethered ends of the pancetta), and using your hand, gently swirl the cutlet against the pan surface (this will prevent the protein from stick to the pan and ensure enough oil to lubricate). By cooking the backside first, you “seal” the wrapping on the cutlet. Once the backside has browned (you can tell when the bottom edge of the cutlet looks white), gently flip the cutlet and gently swirl it in the pan again to ensure it won’t stick to the pan (you can use tongs this time).
Cooking Adventures 