Chicken Saltimbocca
The night I first cooked this for dinner, I really didn't feel like cooking. But as my family needs to be fed I had to come up with something. So I flicked through a That's Life Cookbook which I always find has quick recipe ideas other readers send in, usually quite simple ideas to, and that is what I needed that night.
I came across this recipe, I had loads of sage growing on my balcony so I thought I'd try it.
While the kids were at their after school activities, I had one hour to shop. I got all the ingredients, picked up the kids, got home and had dinner in the oven with very little prep work and quite quickly.
The original recipe makes a burnt butter sauce to go with it, I didn't feel like that so I just bought a medley mix of tomatoes and roasted them to make a sauce for my dish. I also served it with a green salad, but it would go well with steamed beans or broccoli and cauliflower. Since making it the first time I now do add a burnt butter sauce, it's delicious, but it is optional. I love the crispy sage leaves when making the burnt butter sauce.
I prefer the streaky bacon and pancetta wrapped chicken, over the prosciutto version. The streaky bacon and pancetta had a lighter flavour for me, so in all honesty I'd leave the prosciutto for the veal saltimbocca I make and use streaky bacon and pancetta with the chicken. If your pancetta is round you will need to slices per leg. You can use regular bacon, but it doesn't stick to the legs very well, but if you have it in your fridge, use it. Secure it with toothpicks though.
After thought: I will now bake extra legs, as I just had a sandwich with the chopped up chicken and bacon, some mayonnaise and lettuce, it was fantastic!
I came across this recipe, I had loads of sage growing on my balcony so I thought I'd try it.
While the kids were at their after school activities, I had one hour to shop. I got all the ingredients, picked up the kids, got home and had dinner in the oven with very little prep work and quite quickly.
The original recipe makes a burnt butter sauce to go with it, I didn't feel like that so I just bought a medley mix of tomatoes and roasted them to make a sauce for my dish. I also served it with a green salad, but it would go well with steamed beans or broccoli and cauliflower. Since making it the first time I now do add a burnt butter sauce, it's delicious, but it is optional. I love the crispy sage leaves when making the burnt butter sauce.
I prefer the streaky bacon and pancetta wrapped chicken, over the prosciutto version. The streaky bacon and pancetta had a lighter flavour for me, so in all honesty I'd leave the prosciutto for the veal saltimbocca I make and use streaky bacon and pancetta with the chicken. If your pancetta is round you will need to slices per leg. You can use regular bacon, but it doesn't stick to the legs very well, but if you have it in your fridge, use it. Secure it with toothpicks though.
After thought: I will now bake extra legs, as I just had a sandwich with the chopped up chicken and bacon, some mayonnaise and lettuce, it was fantastic!
Recipe
Recipe Adapted from That's Life Cookbook
Serves 4
8 chicken legs
1 bunch sage
8 slices pancetta or prosciutto or streaky bacon, thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 punnets cherry truss tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Burnt Butter Sauce: (optional)
50g unsalted butter, chopped
10-15 small sage leaves
Serves 4
8 chicken legs
1 bunch sage
8 slices pancetta or prosciutto or streaky bacon, thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 punnets cherry truss tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Burnt Butter Sauce: (optional)
50g unsalted butter, chopped
10-15 small sage leaves
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced).
Remove the skin from the chicken legs (you can buy them without skin already, but it does cost more). Season with a little salt and pepper. Keep in mind the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon adds saltiness to the dish.
Lay a piece of pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon on a work bench (if your pancetta is round, use two pieces). Place 2-3 sage leaves side by side in the centre of the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon. Place the chicken leg on one end of the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon and roll up to wrap the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon and sage around the leg. Secure the end with a toothpick. This can be done in advance and refrigerated until needed.
Remove the skin from the chicken legs (you can buy them without skin already, but it does cost more). Season with a little salt and pepper. Keep in mind the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon adds saltiness to the dish.
Lay a piece of pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon on a work bench (if your pancetta is round, use two pieces). Place 2-3 sage leaves side by side in the centre of the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon. Place the chicken leg on one end of the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon and roll up to wrap the pancetta, prosciutto or streaky bacon and sage around the leg. Secure the end with a toothpick. This can be done in advance and refrigerated until needed.
Place chicken on a baking paper lined tray baking tray.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through (check if cooked from 30 minutes as each oven is different).
Meanwhile, place the tomatoes on a baking paper lined baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Remove chicken from the oven, once cooked, keep warm by loosely covering with aluminium foil. Place the tomatoes in the oven to warm up for 10 minutes.
Make Burnt Butter Sauce: Place chopped butter into a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook until melted then add sage leaves to pan. Cook butter and sage leaves, swirling pan often, for 4-5 minutes or until sage leaves are crisp and butter has turned a deep nut-brown colour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken with tomatoes and a green salad or some steamed vegetables.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through (check if cooked from 30 minutes as each oven is different).
Meanwhile, place the tomatoes on a baking paper lined baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Remove chicken from the oven, once cooked, keep warm by loosely covering with aluminium foil. Place the tomatoes in the oven to warm up for 10 minutes.
Make Burnt Butter Sauce: Place chopped butter into a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook until melted then add sage leaves to pan. Cook butter and sage leaves, swirling pan often, for 4-5 minutes or until sage leaves are crisp and butter has turned a deep nut-brown colour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve chicken with tomatoes and a green salad or some steamed vegetables.
Enjoy!