Wow, June has flown by! Needless to say, with the wedding a mere 32 days away, things have been a bit busy. I have made a few great dishes that I really wanted to put on here, but it’s taken a little while to find both the time and the right environment to write in. I am quite excited for the wedding, but will feel a lot better once all of the final details are figured out. Mostly that is finding someone to be in charge of the music and announcing the different dances, cake cutting, etc. I have been getting a lot of help from family members, which is great!
A coworker came across this recipe for Chicken with Pancetta and Sage in a House Beautiful magazine from last year. The article included pictures, displaying how to correctly wrap the chicken and sage leaves in pancetta. Over the past few months my scrawny sage plant has completely taken off and is now flourishing! (See photo above). I thought of this recipe and had all of the needed ingredients on hand, except for pancetta. The article mentions that thinly sliced bacon can be used instead. Next time I would like to use pancetta because I love it’s taste and crisp texture once cooked. Make sure the breasts are all about the same size so they take the same amount of time to cook. Also, when reading the recipe I had forgotten that the wrapped chicken is supposed to chill in the fridge overnight. I popped it in the freezer for half an hour and it worked fine.
The final result is delicious! The sage offers a slight earthy freshness and the pancetta (or bacon) pairs wonderfully with the chicken. By being completely surrounded by pancetta, the chicken breast stays quite tender. I served it with wild rice. Mushroom risotto and a vegetable such as asparagus would go well with this dish.
Chicken with Pancetta and Sage
Marco Canora
Serves 4
About ½ pound pancetta, thinly sliced and uncoiled (or around 12 slices of bacon)
24 small sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 7 oz. each)
About 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1. Depending on the size of the pancetta, lay three or four slices on a clean work surface so they overlap and form a wide enough sheet to completely enclose a chicken breast. Arrange three sage leaves across the sheet of pancetta.
2. Salt and pepper one of the breasts. Fold the tender in (the small loose flap of meat on the underside). Place the breast on the sage leaves and arrange three more sage leaves on top.
3. Fold the pancetta around the breast, and then wrap the breast in plastic, twisting the ends to form a tight, compact log. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, and then chill overnight.
4. About 30 minutes before you wish to eat, remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat a skillet (large enough for all 4 breasts) over high heat. When the pan is hot, add a skim of oil (a few tablespoons). Take the chicken out of the plastic. Place breasts in pan so the seam (the loose edge of the folded pancetta) is on the bottom and cooks first.
5. Allow the pan to heat back up. When it begins to sizzle, in about two minutes, lower the heat to medium. Allow the pancetta to brown, about two minutes more, and then turn each breast a quarter turn. Gradually brown the meat on all sides (turn each breast at least four times), about 20 minutes in all. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the chicken sit in the pan off the stove for three minutes, then flip each breast and let it sit for three minutes more. Slice into nice, thick disks and serve.
