Pollo Fritto with Saltimbocca Salt

Pollo fritto, Italian for fried chicken, is a Tuscan-Jewish dish (without Saltimbocca salt) traditionally enjoyed for Hanukkah, where the chicken is simply marinated in a mixture of lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices, then coated with flour and egg before deep-frying until golden crispy. Traditional recipes use a whole chicken, cut into parts, but you can simply use a mixture of wings, drumsticks and thighs.
What makes this chicken recipe a standout is the Saltimbocca salt. A simple but genius condiment made with crumbled crispy Prosciutto, sage and salt and black pepper. Saltimbocca, Italian for “leap into the mouth”, is an Italian classic made with thin cutlets (chicken, veal, or pork) wrapped or topped with prosciutto and sage.

	Saltimbocca Salt
1.5 kg Chicken, cut into 9-10 pieces 1 tbsp Finely chopped sage 1 tbsp Finely chopped rosemary 2 Large garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1/8 tsp Ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg Juiced and finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 tsp Sea salt Olive oil for frying 75 g Almond flour (or plain flour) 4 Eggs, lightly beaten Lemon wedges, to serve	2 Prosciutto slices 1 tbsp Sage, finely chopped 1 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper 1/2- 3/4 tbsp Sea salt

Combine chopped sage, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and zest in a non-reactive bowl with sea salt. Add chicken and rub the marinade all over. Cover and chill for 6 hours or overnight.
For the saltimbocca salt, place prosciutto in a cold non-stick frypan over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for 6 minutes or until crispy and the fat has rendered. Set aside to cool slightly. Finely chop the sage and place it in a bowl. Mix in freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt. Cumble the cooled prosciutto and add to the sage mixture. Set aside.
When ready to fry, remove chicken from the fridge and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Fill a wide bowl with flour of your choice and another with lightly beaten eggs. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg to coat.
Half fill a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat until oil reaches 180C/350F on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully lower the chicken into the oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through. Drain on paper towel. You might have to do this in batches. Make sure the oil returns to 180C/350F each time before cooking the next batch.
Sprinkle pollo fritto with saltimbocca salt and serve with lemon wedges alongside.

28 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, 27/9/24 13:21: Looks very good. I will give this one a try.
The Velvet Runway 27/9/24 14:21: This looks so delicious, Angie. I will definitely give it a try!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Tom 27/9/24 14:30: ...Angie, you are always coming up with exciting recipes!
eileeninmd 27/9/24 14:37: Looks like a yummy chicken recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Take care, have a great day and happy weekend!
DEZMOND 27/9/24 15:50: Nice rectangular plate, I prefer them rectangular.
Anonymous 27/9/24 17:02: While this might have had Tuscan origins, it's not going to have Jewish origins due to the prosciutto (ham).
Rainbow Evening 27/9/24 17:35: never tasted it..... look yummy
Brian's Home Blog 27/9/24 17:46: Oh my, that looks delicious!
Bill 27/9/24 19:05: New to me but it does look delicious.
David 27/9/24 19:16: Hi Angie, That chicken looks amazing! Love the concept of the Saltimbocca Salt with prosciutto, sage and salt and black pepper. I wonder what else I could use it on! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Angie's Recipes 27/9/24 19:24: Pollo Fritto alone was, Saltimbocca Salt was an extra add.
JoAnna 27/9/24 20:18: This dish looks very nice - like all your dishes.
Angie's Recipes 27/9/24 20:26: I served it with steak and great with roasted cauliflowers or root vegetables too.
Pam 27/9/24 20:31: Yum. It looks delicious!
MELODY JACOB 27/9/24 20:33: Pollo fritto, is a delicious Tuscan-Jewish dish. Looks good.
Breathtaking 27/9/24 20:56: Hello Angie :)
this recipe looks so good, I will pass it on to my daughter as she likes trying out new meal ideas
citu 27/9/24 22:41: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Cooking Julia 27/9/24 23:07: Nice and yummy recipe!
Anne in the kitchen 28/9/24 06:13: This sounds delicious!
Anonymous 28/9/24 06:52: The Saltimbocca salt sounds like a great addition to any dish. But, it would never feature on a Jewish recipe as it is pork based.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime https://tandysinclair.com
Angie's Recipes 28/9/24 07:15: Hi Tandy, I am aware of that. I only mentioned that Pollo fritto is of a Tuscan-Jewish origin, the Saltimbocca salt is an extra add for this recipe. I am sorry that I have somewhat confused you and others.
Margaret D 28/9/24 11:30: Looks a good recipe, Angie.
The-FoodTrotter 28/9/24 11:39: This saltimbocca salt is very original! I need to try to replicate this recipe soon :)
Hena Tayeb 28/9/24 20:32: Oh this looks so good.
Paola 29/9/24 10:39: Ma che bontà! Sembra delizioso, e croccante. Bravissima come sempre.
Federica Simoni 29/9/24 15:26: wow super buono!
Frank 29/9/24 15:57: That saltimbocca salt is such a clever idea! I'm going to give that a try.
tigerfish 2/10/24 01:46: Learning about this Saltimbocca salt for the first time.