Zucchini Blossom And Chicken Saltimbocca Recipes

THE BEST CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

Steps:

• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and dredge each breast, coating evenly and shaking off the excess. Set aside.
• In a large fry pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter with the olive oil until very hot. Add the chicken breasts and cook until the undersides are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over and continue to cook until they feel firm when pressed in the centers, 4 to 6 minutes more.
• Reduce the heat to very low. Sprinkle the breasts evenly with the chopped or dried sage. Top each breast with a piece of prosciutto, then divide the cheese slices evenly among the breasts. Cover the pan tightly and cook until the cheese is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and tent with aluminum foil, being careful not to allow the foil to touch the cheese.
• Increase the heat to high. When the pan is sizzling, add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits stuck on the pan bottom. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
• Spoon an equal amount of the sauce over each breast, then garnish with a sage leaf. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

SALTIMBOCCA OF ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Cut each zucchini lengthwise into thin even 1/4-inch thick slices. (This is most easily done on a mandolin.) You will need 16 slices total. Lay them out in pairs on paper towels or a clean tea towel and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the prosciutto slices on half the zucchini slices so none hangs over the edges. Place 2 sage leaves on top. Place the cheese slices on top, taking the same precautions you did with the prosciutto. Finally, lay the remaining zucchini slices on top of each stack. Cover with paper towels or another clean tea towel, and press down firmly to extract moisture and firm the zucchini.
• Pour the eggs into a deep plate. Season the flour with salt and pepper and put it on another plate. Pick up each zucchini stack by both ends and hold it securely closed as you dip it first in the egg and then dredge in the flour until evenly coated.
• In a skillet large enough to hold at least 3 zucchini stacks at a time, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the zucchini, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and keep warm until all are cooked. Add more oil by tablespoonfuls, if needed.
• Add the remaining sage leaves to the hot pan and cook briefly until crisp. Arrange several crisped leaves on top of each saltimbocca. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley, a light dusting of Parmesan, and lemon wedges.

PASTA AI FIORI DI ZUCCA (PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS)

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water, stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta-cooking water.
• Clean and rinse zucchini blossoms, removing the inner parts (stigma or anthers); coarsely chop the flowers.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat; cook and stir garlic in the hot oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir parsley, saffron, and reserved 1/2 cup of pasta-cooking water into skillet; stir to combine. Add zucchini blossoms and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal into mixture and stir constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Gently fold penne pasta into zucchini blossom mixture and top with Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper.