Saltimbocca translated means “To Jump in the Mouth”, when you eat this you will see why. Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Caper Sauce will wake up the senses. Saltiness from the prosciutto, fresh earthiness of the sage and the lemon caper sauce adds a zing that will definitely “Jump in the Mouth”.

Check Out This Saltimbocca Panini with Leftovers!

Watch the video in the recipe to make Chicken Saltimbocca!

Breaking Tradition

This dish is traditionally made without cheese, the sage and prosciutto are placed on top of the chicken breast. Then seared in a saute pan and finished in the oven. I wanted to take this dish in another direction. By not searing the prosciutto and sage and allowing the freshness of those two flavors stand out in the chicken.

Saltimbocca hails from Italy but where?

The region of Brescia, Italy gets the credit for the creation of Saltimbocca. Although, traditionally in Italy the preferred protein used for this dish is veal. In America, the use of veal is low on the list of meats consumed. Restaurant menus usually offer chicken or pork Saltimbocca. This dish may be seen as far north as Switzerland because of the proximity to Italy.

Traditionally Saltimbocca is a piece of meat that has been tenderized and layered with sage leaves and topped with prosciutto. Then seared in a saute pan and finished in the oven. It is served with either a butter sauce or a marsala wine sauce.

Regional Differences

Traveling further south in Italy, there is another variation of the dish called Saltimbocca alla Romana. A flattened piece of veal and layered with sage and prosciutto then it is rolled up. Encasing the sage and prosciutto inside the rolled meat then seared in a pan. The pan is deglazed with white wine and finished with butter.

Lemon Caper Sauce

The pairing of the white wine, lemon juice, capers, shallots, garlic then finished with butter pairs well with Chicken Saltimbocca. It gives another layer of the “Jump in the Mouth” factor. The acidic nature of the sauce cuts through the fat of the cheese playing nicely with the sage and prosciutto.

But what is a caper?

One definition of Caper when used as a verb is to, skip or dance in a playful way. Funny that by adding the Caper to the dish adds to the jump in the mouth definition.

Capers in food terms is a pickled bud from a prickly bush. When the capers are allowed to flower the result is impressive. Five white petals and a burst of purple and white shooting from the center.

When shopping for capers don’t be confused with caperberries. Where capers are the unopened flower, the caperberries are just that the berries of the fruit. They are larger than the caper and usually have the stem on them. Most grocery stores should have capers and many will not have the caperberries.

I haven’t heard of Scamorza Cheese what is it?

Scamorza cheese is an Italian cheese that is similar to mozzarella. The cheese is pear shaped and looks similar to provolone. Scamorza is made from cow’s milk and has a white, semi-soft, chewy texture.

Scamorza is usually hung by a string to give it it’s signature pear shape, with a smaller portion above the string and a larger portion of cheese below. In some regions of Italy Scamorza means ‘removing a part’ or ‘beheaded’.

The string tied cheese is hung up to ripen for 2 weeks. At that point it is either sold fresh or smoked over straw for a short time and sold as Smoked Scamorza or Scamorzi Affumicate. The smoked version has a light sweetness with caramel notes.

If you haven’t tried Scamorza, I suggest you do. It is a bit higher priced than your typical mozzarella you would find in the deli case. If your market carries specialty cheeses see if they have it or can get it, you will love it.

Take a look at Ferndale Farmstead cheese line to see what Scamorza and Smoked Scamorza look like.

I think you will like this cheese, it is definitely a step up from mozzarella.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Caper Sauce is a great week night meal.

ENJOY!

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