Chicken Saltimbocca & Portobello mushroom risotto

Italian classic dishes from the Lazio and Lombardy regions.

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

Returning to my other comfort cuisine, la cucina Italiana, is something I naturally do, and often. After you try this new dish pairing, you might agree why.

This time, we are uniting two notable and well-known dishes from two distinctive regions in Italy.

(Photo: Kevin Martin Jose)

We will be plunging into la cucina Romana, or Roman cuisine (Rome is the capital not only of Italy, but of the Lazio region), and also into la cucina Milanese, (Milan is the capital of the Lombardia region).

Saltimbocca a la Romana, which literally means “jump into the mouth” is considered the king of all Roman dishes. It’s ancient and agricultural origin has become the heritage of this region.

(Photo: Catalin Paterau)

Saltimbocca’s luscious base is a delightful combination of butter, white wine, thin fillets of veal (in our case, chicken), prosciutto and sage, creating a guaranteed symphony for the taste buds.

Jumping north of the Lazio region, bordering Switzerland, is the Lombardy region. Lombardy is also the Italian region with most UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Italy, (tied with China) having the highest number of World Heritage Sites in the world.

(Photo: Quael Ben Salah)

La Lombardía boasts an incredible rich and diverse history that now includes fashion, music (Opera) and of course...food and wine.

Rice is popular in the Lombardy region, often found in soups as well as risotti, such as "risotto alla milanese", with saffron. Our risotto version with portobello mushrooms is base on traditional base ingredients, but without the saffron.

Andiamo a cucinare! Let’s get cooking!

Menu:

Chicken Saltimbocca with Portobello mushroom risotto

Herbed-butter toasted baguette bread

Wine pairing:

2016 Prodigo Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva DOC (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 5 large chicken breasts sliced in half width-wise

• 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh sage

• 10 thin slices of prosciutto ham

• 10 fresh sage leaves

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup of extra Virgin olive oil

• 1 small shallot, finely minced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1/2 cup of white wine

• 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

• 1/2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh parsley

• Salt & pepper to taste

Herbed-butter toast:

• 1 baguette bread (cut in thin, diagonal slices)

• 1/4 cup of softened unsalted butter

• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley

Risotto:

• 5 cups of vegetable broth, (ideally divided in 1/2 cup measurements)

• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 pound of baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 2 shallots, diced

• 1 ½ cups Arborio rice

• ½ cup of dry white wine

• sea salt to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

• 4 tablespoons butter

• ⅓ cup freshly grated Grana-Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions Chicken:

• Pound each sliced chicken breast until it is ½” to ¾” thick (use clear wrap to place on top of chicken when pounding it to keep chicken breast intact)

• Season both sides with salt and pepper and then evenly sprinkle a pinch of freshly chopped sage.

• Press a piece of prosciutto ham slice onto each pounded out chicken breast covering it.

• Next, place a fresh sage leaf into the center of the prosciutto ham on the chicken and press it in to stick. Set aside.

• In a bowl or pan mix together the flour, salt and pepper, and lightly dredge each chicken saltimbocca in the flour and pat off any excess and set aside.

• Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the saltimbocca in batches prosciutto ham side down first for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through out.

• Set the cooked chicken saltimbocca aside and add the shallot and garlic to the pan and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Deglaze with white wine and cook until it’s almost dry.

• Pour in the chicken stock and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes a thin gravy.

• Add butter, 1 teaspoon of chopped sage, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir for a few seconds. Remove from heat.

• Serve the pan sauce over top of the cooked chicken.

Toast:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

• In a bowl, mix thoroughly softened butter, garlic and parsley.

• Spread butter mixture evenly on every piece of sliced bread (one side only).

• Place bread, buttered side up on a baking sheet and toast in oven until lightly golden. Remove from oven and place on serving plate or basket.

Risotto:

• In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat. Set aside.

• Warm up 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to large saucepan and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale/golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.

• Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes. If you like the rice softer, add a little more liquid and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

• Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, parsely, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it up!

These fantastic dishes look wonderfully served family style in platters or individually. They are pictured here both ways for you to choose.

If plating individually, I recommend you first scoop an ample serving of risotto unto the middle of the dish, creating a small slope type of indentation. Place the chicken saltimbocca breast on top of the risotto (sage leaf side up) and garnish on the side of the dish with a thinly sliced lemon and a piece of fresh parsley leaf.

For plater servings, slices of lemon and parsley leaves for the chicken saltimbocca will look great spread out through the platter.

For the risotto, transfer the risotto from the cooking pot into a deep serving dish, placing the bigger sized mushrooms on top and lightly dust with some freshly grated cheese.

Mangia bene! Enjoy!

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

About the wine...

Special thanks to my friends at Winesellers Ltd. for their wonderful contribution of this Sangiovese.

2016 Prodigo Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva DOC (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)

Prodigo’s Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva is a robust wine with an expressive bouquet and full flavors. It has a bright and intense ruby red colour with garnet hints aromas of fresh flowers, while an intense fruitiness on the palate. It is a dry, full-bodied wine with a rich and smooth harmonious long finish.

Grapes: 100% Sangiovese

Food pairing: Pasta Bolognese, Prosciutto di Parma, robust dishes from northern Italy.

For more information, visit: http://www.winesellersltd.com/wine-brand/Prodigo.html

http://www.winesellersltd.com/wine/Friuli%20Grave,%20Emilia-Romagna%20and%20Sicily/Prodigo/Prodigo%20Sangiovese%20di%20Romagna%20Riserva/2016.html

Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com

(Special discount promo code: CFW15)

Special thanks to Chef Maria Elena!

This food posting could not have been made possible without the collaboration and assistance of my dear friend and cooking colleague, Chef Maria Elena Bermudez from CocinaME. Gracias Chef!

(Photo: Courtesy of CocinaME)

Follow Chef Maria Elena on Instagram at: https://instagram.com/cociname_val?igshid=dcnauw43gm9o

(Photo: Dario Veronesi)