Chicken saltimbocca

Chicken saltimbocca with preserved lemon butter

A delicious, impressive dish for entertaining but very simple to prepare. For a weekday meal simply substitute the rolled breasts for chicken pieces and toss all the ingredients in a roasting pan before baking until crisp and golden.

(serves 4)

2 chicken breasts
2 slices Parma ham
2 sage leaves or oregano sprigs
flour, for dusting
olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
2T butter
1T chopped preserved lemon

Bat out the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film until about half as thick. Top each with a slice of Parma ham. Roll up the chicken and stitch on a sage leaf with a cocktail stick. Dust with flour and season. Pan-fry in olive oil on both sides until tender. Add the lemon juice and butter to the pan and give it a quick sizzle. Sprinkle with preserved lemon and serve.


NOTE: Need a tip on how to preserve lemons? Click here




A step-by-step guide on how to make chicken saltimbocca

Step 1 Place the chicken breast between two layers of cling wrap 
and bat out with a rolling pin or 
small pan until ½cm thick. Remove 
the top cling wrap layer.

Step 2 Place a slice of Parma ham or desired ingredients on top. Roll the chicken up tightly to form a roll, wrap a sage leaf around and secure with a toothpick. It is now ready to be pan-fried.

TIP For a quicker version, simply slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, wrap with Parma ham and secure a sage leaf onto each with a toothpick.