Chicken With Prosciutto and Sage

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 75 minutes
Rating: 4(227)
Notes: Read community notes

Versatility is what you get with this dish, which borrows its flavors from the Italian staple saltimbocca, a combination of veal, prosciutto and sage. Here, the dark meat of chicken takes the place of veal, and instead of meat slices topped with the ham and herbs, there are plump bundles with the sage inside. Boneless chicken thighs make for easier slicing. Leaving the skin on to brown, provides more flavor, especially with some of the sage tucked underneath. Fingerling potatoes simmer as the chicken braises, and fresh peas contribute a touch of spring for a one-pot meal, not instant but hardly demanding. A final, judicious splash of balsamic vinegar intensifies the sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

1tablespoon unsalted butter
6large boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each)
½cup finely chopped fennel bulb (about ¼ bulb)
½cup finely chopped red onion (about ½ onion)
Salt and ground black pepper
½teaspoon ground sage
18medium-size fingerling potatoes (about 1 pound)
1½cups chicken stock
18fresh sage leaves (from a small bunch), plus a few sprigs for garnish
12thin slices prosciutto (about 5 ounces)
⅔cup shelled peas
1teaspoon good-quality balsamic vinegar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear until skin is nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter, skin side up. Reduce heat to low, add fennel and onion to sauté pan, season with salt and pepper, stir in ground sage and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, stir, add stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until potatoes are just about tender when pierced with a paring knife, 15 minutes.
Step 2
While potatoes are cooking, tuck a sage leaf under the skin of each thigh. Turn thighs over and season the flesh side of each with salt and pepper, and place 2 sage leaves on each. Roll each thigh into a bundle, skin side out, and wrap in prosciutto, using 2 overlapping slices for each to fully enclose the chicken. Tuck wrapped chicken, seam side down, in among the potatoes in the sauté pan. Add the peas. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, basting chicken with pan juices halfway through.
Step 3
Remove chicken to a warm platter and surround with potatoes. Stir vinegar into the pan sauce, add salt and pepper if needed, and pour, including the peas, over and around the chicken and potatoes. Garnish platter with sage and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

227 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Emily5 years ago

I deboned chicken thighs to make this dish (having never seen skin-on boneless thighs at the supermarket), but next time I would save that step by using boneless skinless thighs, dusted with flour, and extra butter/oil. The crispy skin is lost under the prosciutto anyway! In all, however, this is a delicious dish, and the note added by the touch of balsamic at the end is wonderful. (I was out of potatoes so reduced the stock to one cup and served over orzo).

Amy5 years ago

I also used boneless, skinless thighs and just browned them til golden. I used toothpicks to keep everything together while cooking, in place of the prosciutto.

Connie M5 years ago

I love sage, Prosciutto and chicken thighs, thought this would be a winner, but it didn’t do it for me. I didn’t think it was worth the effort.

Amy5 years ago

This is a real keeper. I love that it's chicken, potatoes and peas all in one dish. I don't eat pork, so just left out the prosciutto and it was still very, very good. The sauce really makes the whole dish shine.

MES5 years ago

I found boneless chicken thighs at Costco, along with high quality prosciutto. I used frozen peas, thawed, and added 5 minutes before done.

Sarah1 year ago

I found the sage too strong, and that was after using fewer fresh sage leaves than called for. The flavors of this dish really didn't come together for me and the texture of the cooked prosciutto was unpleasant. Overall, not a dish that's worth the effort that has to go into it.

Brenda2 years ago

This is delish! I used skinless, boneless thighs (cholesterol is a concern). I just tore up pieces of prosciutto instead of wrapping. Should have put in more peas (and I don't much like them, but they work well here). Don't be afraid of the fennel; the taste is subdued.

Cindy3 years ago

I love Chicken Saltimbocca at my local Italian restaurant. This was good, but not great. Next time I’ll either reduce the pan juice or thicken it. It was so tasty, but hard to catch on my plate.

Laura4 years ago

Any suggestions for replacing yhe fennel bulb? My spouse doesn’t eat it.

Robert4 years ago

The peas add nothing. Just plain lazy

Fred5 years ago

That was an awesome recipe and dish! Make sure to prepare extra for seconds.

adrianne5 years ago

This recipe was so delicious. We made it for a weekend dinner and it was a decadent treat.

Mary Ann5 years ago

I solved the ‘no boneless, skin-on thighs’ problem by using bone-in thighs with skin. Browned both sides, then proceeded largely as directed. I did add about 3/4 cup each of the fennel and red onion and a larger amount of peas, and cooked the thighs when added about 5 minutes longer. Dish was outstanding. Great flavor and very moist (partly thanks to the bone-in thighs, I’d suggest). The sauce was nicely thickened and delicious. I will definitely make this again...and again!

Betsey5 years ago

I used skinless boneless thighs, as that’s what was available, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. We found it blah, and there was way too much sauce. It might have been better if I had reduced the sauce, but we were hungry and I was trying to follow the recipe closely. I won’t bother with this again.

Jen5 years ago

Very yummy, glad I read the ingredients and method instead of judging the recipe on the very unappetizing photo.

Bellaverdi5 years ago

Used boneless skinless due to availability. I thought that the 1 1/2c of broth would be too much, but the sauce reduced nicely in cooking. This was very tasty and I will prepare it again.

Susan Alexander5 years ago

This was "cpmpany good." However I do not own a pan nearly big enough for everything. So I cooked the potatoes and peas separately. Next time I will just do the chicken. And do potatoes ad peas separately again. The balsamic vinegar is great cuts the richness of the sauce.

Connie M5 years ago

I love sage, Prosciutto and chicken thighs, thought this would be a winner, but it didn’t do it for me. I didn’t think it was worth the effort.

Janine5 years ago

Delicious! Made as written except used boneless skinless thighs due to availability, and as I am not fond of soggy chicken skin. I did end up using toothpicks to hold the chicken bundles together while cooking. Well liked by all. I did add extra broth when dryness threatens. Moist and flavorful!

MES5 years ago

I found boneless chicken thighs at Costco, along with high quality prosciutto. I used frozen peas, thawed, and added 5 minutes before done.

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