Chicken Saltimbocca with Crunchy Pea Salad

I have several weeknight chicken dishes to share. I’m starting with this classic Italian dish.

This is a home-cooked version of an incredible restaurant dish, substituting chicken for veal. Saltimbocca translates to “jumps in your mouth,” the perfect description for this amazingly flavorful prosciutto and sage wrapped meat.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Aaron Crowder, Katie Jackson, and Nick Perkins. I substituted chicken thighs for chicken breasts and used a combination of parsley and cilantro instead of fresh mint. We ate it with sautéed broccoli rabe and roasted potatoes. The chicken was crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 2 (8oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups panko
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 to 8 thin slices prosciutto (enough to wrap the chicken)
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 scallions, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 8 oz sugar snap peas, strings removed, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup parsley, cilantro, and/or mint leaves, torn if large
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• flaky sea salt
• lemon wedges, for serving

1. If using chicken thighs, place a thigh on a cutting board between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound as thin as possible without tearing the meat, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining thighs. (If using chicken breasts, place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Holding a knife parallel to board and working along a long side, cut through center of breast until you are ½” from the other side. Open like a book and place butterflied breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound as thin as possible without tearing meat—about 1/4″ thick and 8″ wide is ideal. Repeat with remaining breast.)
2. Place eggs, panko, and flour in separate shallow bowls (cake pans or pie plates work great).
3. Season meat lightly with kosher salt.
4. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, press 2 sage leaves onto both sides of meat.
5. Wrap 2 pieces of prosciutto around each cutlet to make a belt that holds in the sage. (I used about 2 1/2 pieces per thigh.)
6. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
7. Dip in eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl.
8. Coat in panko, pressing lightly to help it adhere, then shaking off excess.
9. Place cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet.
10. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until very hot (an instant-read thermometer should register 350°–375°).
11. Carefully lower 1 breast along the side of the skillet closest to you and let it slide into oil so it’s lying flat. (I cooked 2 thighs at a time.) Swirl oil in skillet carefully so that cutlet is submerged and cook just until bottom side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
12. Using tongs, carefully turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; season with kosher salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining meat.
13. Toss scallions, peas, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt.
14. Arrange chicken on a platter and top with pea salad. Sprinkle with sea salt; serve with lemons.

Fresh Corn Grits with Shrimp & Roasted Pecan Butter

Another Easter weekend food tradition in our family is to eat shrimp and grits as a celebration of one of our favorite places- Charleston, South Carolina. The spring sunshine reminds me of how lovely it is there. It is a particularly special place for us because it’s where my husband and I met. ❤ Charleston is also an incredible food city.

I really like the story behind this amazing version. Apparently, it was created on Top Chef season 5 by Jeff McInnis, owner of Miami’s Yardbird restaurant. He was challenged to create a shrimp and grits dish without using grits. He made fresh corn “grits” using fresh corn, but, the best part was that he incorporated pecan butter in the grits because of a memory of eating fresh nut butter from his grandmother’s pecan tree. The fresh nut butter put this dish over the top. Delicious. I wish that I had the imagination to dream up a dish like this one.

This was my husband’s favorite shrimp and grits (thus far), and I’ve made quite a few versions. I pointed out that it may be because this dish didn’t actually have grits. 🙂 This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Jeff McInnis. I increased the amount of fresh corn in the grits and slightly increased the amount of prosciutto. Next time, I may reduce the amount of lager. I may increase the amount of grits as well- we wanted more!

Yield: Serves 4

For the Roasted Pecan Butter:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/2 tsp canola oil
• coarse salt, to taste

For the Grits:

• 6 large ears of corn, shucked and coarsely grated on a box grater (2 cups pulp and juice)
• 1/4 cup milk, plus more for stirring/serving, as desired
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• roasted pecan butter (about 1/4 cup), directions below

For the Shrimp Sauté:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto, cut into strips
• 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup lager, to taste (I used 1 cup but may reduce it next time)
• lemon wedges, for serving, optional

Make the Roasted Pecan Butter:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Roast the pecans about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.
3. Process toasted pecans in a mini food processor with canola oil until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Season with salt to taste.

Make the Grits:

1. In a saucepan, simmer the grated corn and juices with the 1/4 cup of milk over moderate heat, stirring, until thick, 4 minutes.
2. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the pecan butter; keep warm.

Make the Shrimp Sauté:

1. In a large, deep skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
2. Add the prosciutto and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, snap peas and corn, season with salt and pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they just begin to curl, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the lager and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are cooked through and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
7. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

To Serve:

1. Whisk a little milk into the grits so it’s the consistency of polenta; heat until warm.
2. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls, top with the shrimp sauté and serve at once.
3. Serve with lemon wedges, as desired.

One Year Ago: Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Grits

Two Years Ago: Classic Shrimp & Grits

Three Years Ago: Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

Four Years Ago: Shrimp & Grits with Tomatoes

Five Years Ago: Hominy Grill’s Shrimp & Grits

Pasta Primavera with Asparagus, Peas, & Crème Fraîche

This quick and fresh dinner was truly springtime on a plate. It uses a combination of early spring vegetables- asparagus, peas, and scallions- which, as the author describes, makes it a “true celebration of the season.”

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I modified the proportions and omitted the tarragon. I also used reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Loved it!

Yield: Serves 6

• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed
• 3/4 pound asparagus, ends snapped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh English peas
• 1/3 cup (5 large) thinly sliced spring onion, white part only (or use shallot)
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 16 ounces pappardelle, fettuccine or tagliatelle, preferably fresh
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature
• 6 oz (3/4 cup) crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon, optional

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, slice snap peas in half and asparagus stems into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; leave asparagus tips whole.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion. Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
5. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente (1 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, more for dried pasta). Drain well, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
6. Transfer pasta to the skillet of prepared vegetables or to a large bowl.
7. Immediately toss pasta with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crème fraîche and herbs.
8. Thin sauce to desired consistency with reserved pasta water.
9. Season generously with salt and pepper, if needed, to taste. Serve.

One Year Ago:

• Linguine with Asparagus & Egg

Two Years Ago:

• Rigatoni with Lemon-Chile Pesto & Grated Egg

Three Years Ago:

• Saffron Pappardelle with Moroccan Spiced Shallot-Butter Sauce
• Spicy & Garlicky Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pappardelle

Four Years Ago:

• Israeli Couscous with Spinach and Onions
• Spinach cooked with Onions (Mughlai Saag)