Chicken Saltimbocca (Saltimbocca di Pollo)

Adapted from Mario Batali
Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 Cup flour, all-purpose 
1 to taste salt and pepper 
4, 6-ozs chicken breast, boneless, skinless 
4 Slices prosciutto di parma 
24 Each sage leaves, 4 large and 20 smaller
2 1/4 Cups oil, extra virgin olive 
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 Large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 Pound mushrooms, shiitake thinly sliced (cremini are fine too) 
1 Cup marsala 
1/2 Cup stock, chicken 
2 Tbls butter 
1 Bunch parsley, flat-leaf chopped
Toothpicks


Tools Needed:
Norpro Meat Veal Pounder
Asian Kitchen 5-inch Spider Strainer
12-Inch Skillet with Glass Cover
Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press 

Directions: 
Season the flour with salt and pepper 

With a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts to ¼-inch thickness. Season each breast with salt and pepper and lay 1 sage leaf on each breast. Lay 1 slice prosciutto over each piece and fold in half like a book. Secure the two sides with a toothpick and dredge each breast in the seasoned flour. 

In a heavy-bottomed pot with high sides, heat the 2 cups olive oil to 375 degrees. Make sure that you have a slotted spoon or spider close by. Working in a few batches, fry the leaves in the oil, removing with the slotted spoon after 30 seconds. Season with salt, set on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and set aside. 

In a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil until smoking. Add the chicken and sauté until golden brown on both sides. Mince the garlic with a garlic press.  Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have sweated, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the Marsala and chicken stock and cook over high heat until reduce by half. Swirl the butter into the pan, add the parsley and serve on 4 warmed dinner plates, topped with the fried sage leaves.