Chicken Saltimbocca

You Will Need:

1. Cast Iron Skillet or Large Oven-safe Sauté Pan
2. Microplane Zester/Grater
3. Baking Sheet with Wire Rack (ideally, although just a baking sheet will do it)
4. Instant Read Thermometer (also optional, but you really should have one of these)
5. Slotted Spatula (or slotted spoon, or tongs… but honestly, this is the only spatula you’ll really ever need)

Ingredients

1. 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make 6, thinner cutlets, about 2.5 lbs. Pound them with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or cast iron skillet to get them about 1/4 inch thick, if need be
2. ¼ cup mayo (use Kewpie if you can get it, otherwise any mayo is fine)
3. ¼ cup Olive Oil, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4. Additional drizzle (2 tablespoons-ish) good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. 24 large sage leaves, plus an additional 1-2 tablespoons chopped sage
6. 3 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane Zester/Grater – or pressed, or finely minced
7. 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chili peppers, Aleppo Pepper, or 1 TEASPOON regular dried chili flakes
   
   NOTE: The fruity, floral notes of Calabrian or Aleppo pepper compliment the savoriness of this dish perfectly, but regular chili flakes are fine – they’ll add some zing, but not much flavor. Or omit entirely).
   
   
8. 6 slices prosciutto
9. 6 slices fontina (or gruyere) cheese

Instructions

1. From a bunch of sage, pluck 24 of the largest leaves and set aside. Chop smaller leaves finely to get about 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped sage and reserve in a bowl big enough to fit your chicken cutlets
2. To the same bowl, add ¼ cup(ish) mayo, 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic, and chili peppers/flakes (if using)
3. Mix these ingredients together in the bowl using a whisk, fork, or spoon until well combined
4. Add sliced chicken cutlets to the same bowl, and mix well to ensure chicken is well coated. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, or up to 45 minutes… or marinate in the fridge, covered, for up to four hours if making ahead
5. Place cast iron or stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat. Let pan warm up for 2 minutes or so; add olive oil (REMEMBER: Hot pan, cold oil… nothing sticks).
6. When oil is shimmering, add 24 large sage leaves and fry to infuse oil; remove sage leaves just when they become olive green, but before they brown, and reserve on a plate lined with paper towels
7. Two at a time, fry chicken cutlets on both sides until lightly browned; remove and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet (line the baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up)
8. When you’ve finished frying the chicken, place 4 fried sage leaves on each chicken breast
9. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto, followed by a slice of fontina or gruyeré cheese
10. Place chicken breasts under the broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned in spots. Chicken should be cooked through, but you can verify this using an instant read thermometer – you’re looking for a minimum temp of 150°F

I like to serve this with buttered noodles or brown butter pasta, but mashed potatoes or wilted spinach would also be a fine accompaniment