Saltimbocca alla Sorrentina
Diane Seed may be best known for her series of well written, accessible cookbooks that brought Italian cooking into the homes of many, but she also runs one of Rome’s favourite cookery schools from the stunning Doria Pamphili palace in Piazza Venezia.
When I join her on one of her Tuesday classes, we take a wonderful market trip that really helps students get a taste of the ‘real’ Rome. We wander round stalls picking out the best of the fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, then pop into a baker’s for some of Rome’s much loved pizza Bianca, and a cheese shop for a hunk of Pecorino Romano.
In reality, the day has been much more than just a cooking lesson: with Diane’s vast knowledge of Italian culture and her chatty, germane interjections, it’s an enjoyable ramble through Roman life that touches on everything from history (‘this is where Julius Caesar was really killed’), to gastronomy (‘this is Rome’s oldest Norcineria – they have the most wonderful guanciale’), and as we sit back sated and happy, we vow to return to Rome and to Diane’s wonderful school.
Prepare these chicken saltimbocca in advance and throw into the oven just five minutes before serving.
Ingredients
(serves four people)
for the tomato sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped;
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped;
1 kg ripe tomatoes or 2 (400g) cans Italian plum tomatoes;
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces; salt.
for the chicken
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 6 thin slices chicken breast;
6 basil leaves; 6 thin slices mozzarella or fior di latte;
6 tbsp fresh tomato sauce; 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper.
Preparation
To make the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a shallow pan and gently cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and half the basil and cook quickly over a fierce heat until most of the juice has evaporated. Put through a food mill, season and add extra basil. (You can use a food processor, but it tends to turn the sauce an orangey colour.)
To make the chicken: heat the oil in a shallow pan and lightly cook the seasoned slices of chicken breast. Arrange chicken in a large, shallow baking dish, adding the pan juices, and put a basil leaf on top of each piece. Next add a slice of mozzarella and spoon a little fresh tomato sauce over the cheese. (Keep remaining sauce in the refrigerator and use to flavour some pasta at a later date.)
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place in a really hot oven for five minutes or until the cheese melts. The meat will
become dry if overcooked, so don’t be tempted to leave it longer.
Serve immediately.
Further Information: Diane Seed’s latest book, Love Food, Love Rome, takes readers on a culinary tour of Italy’s capital, with advice on where to find the city’s best specialty food shops, bars, restaurants and markets, and offers a variety of recipes that will bring a taste of Rome to your home. For more details of her books or of classes, see website.
VIA DEL PLEBISCITO, 112
ROMA 00186
Tel: +39 (0)6 6797103
www.italiangourmet.com
Email: dianeseed@fastmail.fm
