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1
Place two chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them lightly with the smooth side of a meat mallet or small, heavy skillet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
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2
Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
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3
Lay two or three sage leaves on one side of each breast and fasten them to the breast with a toothpick, weaving in and out as if you were taking a stitch (see opposite).
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4
The toothpicks should lie flat.
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5
(Or, if you dont have toothpicks, tap the sage leaves with the dull edge of a knife to make them adhere to the chicken.)
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6
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and lay them in a baking sheet into which they fit comfortably.
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7
Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with the oil.
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8
Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and scatter them over the chicken.
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9
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
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10
Heat one or two large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillets over medium-high heat.
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11
Add as many of the chicken pieces, sage side down, as will fit in a single layer.
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12
Cook until well browned on the underside, about 2 minutes.
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13
Turn the chicken and cook until the second side is browned and no trace of pink remains in the center, 1 to 2 minutes.
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14
(If you dont have enough pans, or large enough pans, to cook the chicken in one batch, keep the first batch of chicken warm on a baking sheet in an oven turned to the lowest setting while cooking the remaining chicken.)
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15
Serve immediately.
