Name: Involtini With Sage Butter Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (( makes 8 rolls)); 8-10 very thin pancetta slices; 1 tbsp olive oil; 24 fresh sage leaves (3 for each roll).; 3/4 cup water; a pinch of sugar; zest and juice of half a lemon; 2-3 tbsp unslated butter cubed ((depending how creamy and rich you want the sauce to be).); 2 tsp finely chopped sage leaves; salt to taste

Prep 20 min cook 15min

Bundles of succulent chicken breast and prosciutto stuffed with fresh sage leaves.

At my Greek grandmother’s apartment in downtown Cairo, Involtini was a Sunday special. Credit should really go to my grandmother’s sister and her Italian husband who also shared the apartment, for introducing me to this delicious dish.

Involtini loosely translates to wrapped bundles of food in Italian and refers to a dish that has an outer layer wrapped around a filling. From a culinary perspective, it is a prime example of how to effortlessly look like an expert cook.

Veal is frequently used as the outer layer but chicken, fish or vegetables are also popular and I love these little bundles for a variety of reasons.

There are countless combinations you can use depending on what is in season or your mood. For the wrapping, you can add slices of prosciutto, ham, speck, pancetta or bacon. I prefer using pancetta or prosciutto because they can be sliced thin, are easier to roll and are more subtle tasting.

For the stuffing, you can choose different cheeses like Mozzarella, Pecorino, Provolone or Fontina. You can add peppers, spinach or chard and mushrooms or any combination of the above.

You can even have vegetarian choices with aubergine as the wrapper and an array of vegetables and fresh herbs for the stuffing with coarsely ground hazelnuts or walnuts as a garnish.

For today’s recipe, I chose chicken breasts and pancetta for the wrappings.

For the stuffing, I went for a simple approach with a few fresh sage leaves that provided enough flavor for me. The sage also complements the delicate and velvety sage butter sauce I drizzle on before serving.

A bed of nutty farro or a lower calorie bulgur wheat completes the meal.

I think it would be challenging to find a chicken breast dish that is so easy, delicious and looks so impressive when plated.

Involtini With Sage Butter Sauce

Derek Farwagi

Little rolls of pancetta and chicken breast and fresh sage butter sauce.

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course

Calories 625 kcal

Ingredients

For the chicken rolls

2 chicken breasts ( makes 8 rolls)
8-10 very thin pancetta slices Pancetta comes either rolled or in strips like bacon. Depending on the size of chicken breast and how your pancetta is packed, you may need more slices.
1 tbsp olive oil
24 fresh sage leaves (3 for each roll).

For the sage and butter emulsion

¾ cup water
a pinch of sugar
zest and juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp unslated butter cubed (depending how creamy and rich you want the sauce to be).
2 tsp finely chopped sage leaves
salt to taste

Instructions

For the chicken rolls

Slice the the chicken breasts accross their length.
Cover each chicken breast halve with parchment paper or plastic wrap and beat till they are about 1/4 inch thick.
If need be, trim width of chicken so you will get an even roll.
Lay 3 fresh sage leaves over the chicken breasts and tightly roll the chicken breast over the leaves.
Lay slices of pancetta on a board enough to cover the the chicken breast roll. Make sure they overlap slightly to get a good seal once they are rolled. Roll the chicken breast roll over the pancetta
Secure the ends of the pancetta onto the chicken with a couple of toothpicks.
On a medium to low fire, heat 1 tbsp oiive oil in a large frying pan.
Sear the rolls until golden brown all around - about 10 minutes turning them every couple of minutes for an even sear. Occasionally hold them upright for few seconds to sear the ends. Remove toothpicks and set aside on a plate under foil.

For the sage and butter emulsion

In the saucepan, slowly and carefully add 3/4 cup of water to the frying pan. CAUTION: THE PAN WILL BE HOT AND THE WATER WILL STEAM UP. Add the zest and juice of half a lemon, a pinch of sugar, the 2 teaspoons of chopped sage leaves and simmer for a minute.
Keeping the heat to a simmer, add butter one cube at a time, stirring until emulsified. Keep adding butter until all of the butter is used.
Here is a video on how quick and easy it is to make a butter emulsion.
Salt to taste.
Return chicken rolls and any juices to the frying pan and warm them for a minute.
Plate the chicken rolls and drizzle some of the sage butter sauce on each roll. Serve on a bed of farro or bulgur wheat.

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Notes

If you plan to serve faro or bulgur wheat, start cooking them before the Involtini.

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 62gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 219mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 1081mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chicken

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