Ingredients

For the Chicken

16 chicken scaloppini (about 2 ounces each) *if it’s a big breast you can get 3 scaloppini, if small then 2
16 fresh sage or basil leaves
16 slices bacon or pancetta
flour for dusting
salt and freshly ground black pepper
squirt of oil
3 shallots, minced
1 cup dry white wine
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
lemon wedges

For the Market vegetables (use seasonal selection)

1 pound assorted mushrooms, cleaned and rough chopped
3 bunches broccolini, ends removed and cut roughly in 3rds
1 head cauliflower, sliced into 1 inch rounds
2 yellow onion, skin and ends removed, sliced
Fresh herbs
canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

For the Polenta

8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups (about 10 ounces) polenta or yellow cornmeal (do not use “quick” variety)
1 cup shredded parmesan
2 tablespoons butter optional

Special Equipment

Grill
Pastry brush
Toothpicks

Instructions

For the Chicken

On a clean work surface, put down a piece of plastic wrap and lay a scaloppini on it. Place another piece of plastic the same size on top of the chicken. Using a mallet or the back side of a small sauté pan, gently pound the chicken until it is about ½ inch thick.

Place 1 slice of bacon on each cutlet and fold it over to form a sandwich, with the bacon on the inside. Place 1 sage leaf on top of the “sandwich.” Lightly pound again, which will make the sage leaf stick, then secure with toothpicks.

In a sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons of butter over high heat until it foams and subsides.

Season the flour with salt and pepper; then dredge the cutlets lightly in the flour. Now put them in the pan and cook them in the butter for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

While the pan is still warm squirt some oil in the pan and then add the shallots. Sautee until they are soft…. Then pour the wine into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. * This is called deglazing, and is a key technique for creating rich sauces and gravies. When the wine has reduced until its barley there then take off the heat and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

For the Vegetables

Get a large rondo or pan hot and coat with oil. Sautee the veggies until they are crisp.

For the Polenta

Bring water to a boil with salt in a 4-quart heavy pot, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered. Remove from heat, add cheese and butter if desired. * Polenta can be made 20 minutes ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature, but do not  let it stand longer or it will solidify.

To Serve

Serve in three separate dishes and garnish with fresh herbs, cracked black pepper, and grated cheese on the polenta.