Chicken piccata isn’t solely a beloved Italian American basic, it’s additionally straightforward sufficient to be a weeknight dinner on the reg. The sauce is often made with butter, lemon juice and capers – briny, vivid and fatty all of sudden – however my take leans on buttermilk for tang and anchovies, chilli and shallots for brininess and spice. For the marinated zucchini/courgettes to go alongside, you’ll use them in two methods: uncooked and seared. As they sit in a vibrant, garlicky, tangy, minty marinade, all that flavour is absorbed into the flesh. The fried sunflower seeds on prime add a needed salty crunch.
Rooster piccata with sweetcorn, chilli and buttermilk (pictured prime)
Prep 10 min
Prepare dinner 1 hr
Serves 4
3 giant shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 delicate pink chilli, or ¾ tsp pink pepper flakes
2 ears of corn
2lbs (900g) boneless, skinless rooster thighs (about 6)
Sea salt and black pepper
¾ cup (90g) all-purpose (plain) flour
Additional-virgin olive oil
¾ stick (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
6 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
1 small bunch of mint, or basil
1½ cups (370ml) buttermilk
2 lemons
Do some prep: thinly slice the shallots, garlic and chilli. Shuck and take away the kernels from the corn.
Put a rooster thigh between two sheets of greaseproof paper and, utilizing a rolling pin or heavy skillet, pound it to roughly 1cm-thick throughout. Season, then repeat with the remaining rooster thighs.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl, completely dredge every rooster thigh within the flour, shaking off any extra, and organize on a big lipped oven tray.
Put a big cast-iron skillet on a excessive warmth, add a couple of massive glugs of olive oil – about two tablespoons – and warmth till you’ll be able to see wisps of smoke. Gently lay two thighs into the skillet and depart to cook dinner for 4 to 5 minutes, till the rooster is deeply golden beneath. Flip and cook dinner for 2 minutes extra, then switch to a plate browned aspect up. Repeat with the remaining thighs, including extra oil as wanted.
Flip down the warmth to low and add two tablespoons of the unsalted butter, the anchovy fillets, shallots, garlic, chilli and 6 mint sprigs. Season, then saute, stirring, for about three minutes, till the aromatics are softened. Add the corn and cook dinner for 2 minutes, till simply softened.
Add the buttermilk, regulate the warmth to keep up a brisk simmer, then cook dinner, shaking the pan and stirring sometimes, for 3 to 4 minutes, till barely decreased however nonetheless fairly saucy. The buttermilk will break up, and also you’ll see small curds all through the pan, however that’s OK and good!
Dice the remaining butter, add it to the pan, and proceed cooking, vigorously shaking the pan as you stir, for about two minutes, till the butter is included. The agitation of the pan will assist create a thick emulsion.
Minimize the lemons in half. Divide the rooster between plates, prime with the a number of the sauce and serve with loads of recent mint and the lemon halves alongside for squeezing.
Marinated zucchini and mozzarella with fried sunflower seeds
Prep 10 min
Prepare dinner 30 min
Serves 4
3lbs (1.36kg) zucchini (courgette; ie, 3-4 medium ones), or summer time squash
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
6 oz (170g) whole-milk mozzarella
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra if wanted
About ¼ cup (60ml) white-wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
A pinch of sugar
1 bunch of mint
3 tbsp uncooked sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds
Minimize half a zucchini crossways as thinly as doable, and put in a big bowl. Minimize all of the remaining zucchini, together with the opposite half of the sliced one, in half lengthways. Utilizing the tip of a pointy knife, rating the flesh aspect of every half-zucchini in a crosshatch sample, then season throughout with salt. Tear the mozzarella into bite-size items.
Add three tablespoons of oil and the vinegar to the bowl of sliced courgette, then stir within the grated garlic, a pinch of sugar, an enormous pinch of salt and a few freshly floor black pepper.
Firmly whack about half the mint towards a board to launch a number of the important oil, then add the whacked mint – stems and all – to the marinating courgette and stir to mix – the mint will flavour the marinade because it sits. Add the mozzarella and put aside to marinate.
Put a couple of massive glugs of olive oil in a big cast-iron skillet on a medium-high warmth till smoking. Pat dry the flesh aspect of the courgette halves – they are going to have expelled some liquid by now – and lay them reduce aspect down within the skillet (in the event that they don’t all match, sear them in batches). Go away the courgette halves to cook dinner undisturbed for 5 – 6 minutes, till caramelised on the reduce aspect, then flip and cook dinner for 2 minutes longer, till the pores and skin aspect is evenly browned. Switch to a board to chill.
Flip down the warmth to medium-low; if there’s no oil left within the skillet, add one other glug, together with the sunflower seeds, and cook dinner, stirring consistently, for a couple of minute, till properly toasted. Take off the warmth, season with salt and switch the seeds to a plate to chill.
As soon as the cooked courgettes are cool sufficient to deal with, tear or reduce them into giant items and add to the bowl of marinated sliced courgette, together with all of what stays of the bunch of mint. Toss properly, style and regulate the seasoning, then switch to a platter. Prime with the sunflower seeds and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve.
