email this pageThe contest, held in conjunction with the Kentucky New Era and Relish Cooking School and Expo, asked readers to send in their most pressing cooking dilemmas. Readers wanted advice on cooking dairy-free, ideas for quick and easy meals, tips on cooking more healthfully, and help in creating ethnic dishes. But Peggy's entry stood out. She explained that she simply wanted to make chicken cordon bleu for her husband, David. A retired Army staff sergeant, he does most of the cooking, but occasionally Peggy wanted to make something to impress her husband of 35 years. Peggy explained that whenever she tried to make chicken cordon bleu, the breading fell off the chicken. We asked if she would consider a dish that's a bit easier, fresher and lighter and every bit as delicious: Chicken Saltimbocca. She agreed.
On a hot, sunny day in August, Jon descended upon the Watzek home, groceries in hand. He immediately set to work, plugging in his I-Pod and opening a bottle of wine to get started. "Wine and good music are your friends in the kitchen," he said, as he and Peggy started chopping, pounding, measuring and sautéing.
In the end, her Chicken Saltimbocca was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with all of the breading intact. "If it tastes as good as it smells, it'll be all right," David said. With that, Peggy, Jon and David sat down for lunch.
Chicken Saltimbocca
Mark Boughton Photography; styling by Teresa Blackburn
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Ingredients
4 (6-ounce)boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
8 large fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 lemons, cut into halves
Instructions
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
8 large fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 lemons, cut into halves
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper. Top each with sage and cover with prosciutto. Press prosciutto so it will stick it to the chicken.
3. Whisk cheese and flour together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Beat eggs in a small shallow dish, such as a pie plate.
4. Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof or cast-iron skillet until hot. Add thyme and garlic.
5. Dredge chicken cutlets in cheese mixture to completely coat. Dip into beaten eggs. Dredge again in cheese mixture. Place in hot pan. Sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Place pan in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon halves. Serves 4.
Recipe by Relish Chef Jon Ashton
Tips from the Test Kitchen
2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat mallet. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper. Top each with sage and cover with prosciutto. Press prosciutto so it will stick it to the chicken.
3. Whisk cheese and flour together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Beat eggs in a small shallow dish, such as a pie plate.
4. Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof or cast-iron skillet until hot. Add thyme and garlic.
5. Dredge chicken cutlets in cheese mixture to completely coat. Dip into beaten eggs. Dredge again in cheese mixture. Place in hot pan. Sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Place pan in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with lemon halves. Serves 4.
Recipe by Relish Chef Jon Ashton
Win picks:
Chuck Smothermon says: “Wine and good music are your friends in the kitchen,” says Chef Jon Ashton, and to that I can only say: “Amen, Brother!” Aside from the killer recipe, this was just such an enjoyable story to read and had to be one heck of a fun afternoon.
So, combining the friendly flavors in the dish AND a light, convivial atmosphere gets me thinking that, while lots of different options would work, the one I’d like best would be a sociable and simple Italian red. Barbera ought to be just about ideal. Although big-name Piedmontese reds like Barolo and Barbaresco often overshadow it, Barbera is still awfully satisfying. Boroli’s Quattro Fratelli Barbera d’Alba ($19) gets the nod here. What do you have in mind, pal?
Wini Moranville says: Chuck, that’s almost cheating. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Barbera. It’s an easy-on-the-tannins, easy-drinking wine—and rife with a bright streak that makes so many European wines so righteous with food.
I might only offer an alternative for white-wine lovers. With food, I often enjoy Italian Chardonnay; those I’ve tasted in the $10 range are less about turning heads and stopping conversations and more about meshing seamlessly with the food and merriment at hand. Two choices in this vein are the Tormaresca 2007 Chardonnay (Puglia; $10) and the Chateau Libaio 2007 Chardonnay (Toscana; $10).
Nutritional Information
Chuck Smothermon says: “Wine and good music are your friends in the kitchen,” says Chef Jon Ashton, and to that I can only say: “Amen, Brother!” Aside from the killer recipe, this was just such an enjoyable story to read and had to be one heck of a fun afternoon.
So, combining the friendly flavors in the dish AND a light, convivial atmosphere gets me thinking that, while lots of different options would work, the one I’d like best would be a sociable and simple Italian red. Barbera ought to be just about ideal. Although big-name Piedmontese reds like Barolo and Barbaresco often overshadow it, Barbera is still awfully satisfying. Boroli’s Quattro Fratelli Barbera d’Alba ($19) gets the nod here. What do you have in mind, pal?
Wini Moranville says: Chuck, that’s almost cheating. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Barbera. It’s an easy-on-the-tannins, easy-drinking wine—and rife with a bright streak that makes so many European wines so righteous with food.
I might only offer an alternative for white-wine lovers. With food, I often enjoy Italian Chardonnay; those I’ve tasted in the $10 range are less about turning heads and stopping conversations and more about meshing seamlessly with the food and merriment at hand. Two choices in this vein are the Tormaresca 2007 Chardonnay (Puglia; $10) and the Chateau Libaio 2007 Chardonnay (Toscana; $10).
Per serving: 440 calories, 17g fat, 225mg chol., 52g prot., 16g carbs., 0g fiber, 1040mg sodium.
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