Chicken Saporito
Saporito is the Italian word for tasty or having a savory flavor. This chicken dish is both delicious and saporito! Thanks to prosciutto and cheese, it pairs well with either red or white wine. Serve a pasta or risotto first course and plate this with a simple salad such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions for a complete meal. Most of the work can be done in advance. Developed for Molesini Wine Club, the recipe is included in the wine shipment so members can make the dish to enjoy during their virtual wine tastings.
Chicken Saporito
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 3 to 6 hours brining and 38 minutes cooking and resting
Brine
Prepare up to 4 days in advance
¼ cup (60 milliliters) sugar
¼ cup (60 milliliters) kosher coarse salt
2 cups (480 milliliters) water
8 sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and split lengthwise in half
½ lemon, thinly sliced with peel
12 ice cubes
Herb Oil
Prepare up to 2 days in advance
¼ cup (60 milliliters) Italian parsley leaves
5 sage leaves
2 cloves peeled garlic
3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (60 milliliters) olive oil
Chicken
2 whole, halves connected in the middle, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
10 slices (3 ½ ounces/100 grams) prosciutto
8 ounces (228 grams) fontina cheese, sliced medium thick
6 pieces kitchen string, each about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) butter
1 cup (240 milliliters) dry white wine
Directions
Prepare brine: Place all ingredients, other than ice cubes, in a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
Let liquid cool for 20 minutes. Add ice cubes and stir. Once room temperature, brine can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 4 days in a nonreactive, covered container.
Prepare herb oil: Chop parsley, sage, and garlic in a mini blender. Transfer to a small bowl; whisk in lemon and olive oil. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Prepare chicken: Place the 2 sets of chicken breasts flat on a generous piece of parchment or wax paper. Cover with another piece. Use a meat pounder or the back of a cast iron skillet to pound the chicken into a uniform thickness, about ½ an inch (1.3 centimeter). This takes muscles and time!
Place pounded chicken breasts in a nonreactive container and cover with room temperature or chilled brine. Refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C) when ready for final prep. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.
Make 2 chicken bundles using a whole (2 halves) chicken breast for each. Open the breasts flat. Coat each of the 4 halves with the herb oil, using about ½ tablespoon on each of the 4 halves (2 tablespoons/30 milliliters) in total. Place 2 slices of prosciutto on one side of each bundle, divide, and place cheese on top of the prosciutto, leaving a border along the edge. Wrap an additional slice of prosciutto around the outer edge of cheese, then top with two more slices of prosciutto. Fold the other half of the breast over the top and secure it by tying 3 strings evenly around the bundle.
Heat a cast iron skillet large enough to hold both breasts over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) butter and when it foams, add ½ of the remaining herb oil. Add chicken breasts and brown on each side for about 4 minutes, until golden. Add wine, distribute remaining herb oil over the top of the breasts, cover tightly with tinfoil, and place in oven. After 15 minutes, turn breasts over, cover, and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, place on a cutting board, cover with tinfoil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Heat juices in the pan, whisking in any cheese that has accumulated. You can reduce this for a thicker sauce if you wish.
Slice meat on the diagonal, pour over ½ the pan sauce, plate, and drizzle with remaining sauce.
About Molesini Wine Club
This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
