Please allow me to brag...
A few nights ago, I made a truly exceptional meal.
You heard me. No false modesty here. It was great.
After a demo in the test kitchen, I came home with some thinly sliced Spanish-style chorizo, a bit of sliced cheese, half an onion, and a few salad greens... and there was still a bit of ham from a few days before. There had also been a great chicken breast sale at the store and, to the two of us, the idea of a Spanish take on saltimbocca seemed like fun...
So, I prepped the breast as for saltimbocca...
http://www.thisoldchef.com/blog.html/the_birthday_chicken_saltimbocca_wild_rice_pilaf_herb_salad_chocolate_pudding_with_cointreau/
...laid a few slices of the chorizo on the lower half of both pieces, and covered the chorizo with a slice of the cheese (pretty much any cheese would work just fine, this happened to be Muenster).
I then folded the "undressed" halves of the breast over the "dressed" halves, making a nice packet. Don't worry if a bit of sausage or cheese peeks out. I proceeded to salt and pepper the outside, and then flour, egg, and breadcrumb each of the packages. Sautéed them in EVOO for about 2-3 minutes per side until nicely browned. Placed them in a 350 oven to finish cooking.
While the chicken finishes... build your sauce.
Sauté half an onion that you've minced fine. After a minute or two, add a minced clove or two of garlic. After another minute, add a good splash of white wine and a bit of sherry (trust me). Let this bubble away, adding a good pinch or two of smoked paprika and (the secret ingredients that took this over the top) about a 1/4 C of very very finely diced cooked ham and 1/2 teaspoon of finely minced rosemary. Let this bubble a bit, but don't over-reduce. If it gets too thick, a splash of water or stock will help.
Just before serving, toss in a piece of butter and turn off the heat... and let the butter melt gently into the sauce.
Place the "saltimbocca" on the plate. Be generous as you sauce! Accompany with sautéed potatoes and a simple salad (one a bit more vinegar-y than usual). Pour a nice full-bodied but not too subtle red, and you will be so surprised...
This is almost shockingly subtle considering the ingredients, but the sauce is hauntingly deep.
And the "saltimbocca"?
Well, you will be amazed! I can't say enough about this... Please try it!
We sat at table for hours, talking long after the last morsel was eaten... the indisputable hallmark of a great meal.