TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Involtini di Pollo alla SalviaChicken Rolls with Sage
A secondo of thinly pounded chicken breast rolled around prosciutto, sage and cheese, then gently braised with white wine. This fragrant preparation keeps chicken breast, readily available in Japan, from drying out.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Chicken breastButterfly and pound to a thickness of 5 mm600 g
- Prosciutto crudo80 g
- Fresh sage12 pieces
- Fontina cheeseCut into sticks80 g
- Dry white wine100 ml
- Unsalted butter25 g
- Extra virgin olive oil20 ml
- Cake flourDust the surface lightly20 g
- Salt4 g
- Black pepper1 g
Method
Butterfly and pound the chicken breast
- 1 Cut into the thickest part of 600 g chicken breast and butterfly it open in both directions. Place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 5 mm thick.
Ready when
Make the thickness even throughout without tearing holes in the meat.
Divide the filling and season
- 1 Cut 80 g Fontina into 8 sticks.
- 2 Divide 80 g prosciutto to match the width of the chicken pieces.
- 3 Wipe any dirt off 12 sage leaves.
- 4 Season the chicken lightly with salt and black pepper.
Fill and roll the involtini
- 1 Divide the chicken into 8 pieces. Place prosciutto, sage and Fontina on each, then roll tightly from one end.
Ready when
Secure the seams with toothpicks and adjust so the filling does not protrude too far.
Dust with flour
- 1 Lightly dust the involtini with 20 g cake flour and shake off the excess.
Ready when
Do not leave a thick, white coating of flour on the surface.
Brown the involtini
- 1 Heat 20 ml extra virgin olive oil and 15 g unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the involtini seam-side down.
- 2 Cook for 5 minutes, turning to brown lightly on all sides.
Braise with white wine
- 1 Pour in 100 ml dry white wine, cover and cook gently over low heat for 8 minutes.
- 2 Remove when cooked through to the center, springy when pressed and releasing clear juices.
Reduce the juices into a sauce
- 1 Add 10 g unsalted butter to the cooking juices in the frying pan and reduce over medium heat for 1–2 minutes.
- 2 When the sauce is lightly thickened and glossy, spoon it over the involtini to finish.
About this dish
Involtini means “little parcels” in Italian and is the general name for dishes in which thinly flattened meat is rolled around a filling. They are found from north to south, made with beef, pork, veal or chicken. What they share is the idea of thinning the meat for even cooking while keeping the aromas of the filling inside.
Sage, or salvia, is particularly popular in central Italy, especially Tuscany and Lazio. Rome’s signature saltimbocca also combines veal with sage and prosciutto, reflecting the longstanding recognition of sage’s affinity with meat in Italian cooking.
Chicken breast involtini became widespread as a household choice where veal was difficult to obtain, eventually establishing themselves as a dish in their own right. Wrapping in the saltiness of prosciutto, the fragrance of sage and the richness of cheese turns the mildness of chicken breast into an advantage.
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