Do you know that feeling you get when you eat something good at a restaurant and you stop to think… I would like more of it, I would eat it at home tomorrow too… except that it’s easy to forget, laziness prevails, and yes ends up cooking one of the usual things.
And there, precisely in that moment of hesitation, that FoodMeTender (i.e. Angelica and Nicolò) comes to you to offer a small library of recipes from great restaurants “remade for you” so that you can also enjoy them at home or surprise your diners. Which obviously means, for Angelica and Nicolò, that once they return from the restaurant they put on their apron and go, by trial and error, in search of that dish, that flavor until they develop a recipe…. Re-Made for you.
So here is Renato and Luisa’s courgette flower au gratin, a simple and tasty dish that will make you look great with minimal effort.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 fresh, whole courgette/zucchini flowers
- 300 g of good quality fresh ricotta
- 50-70 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
- Parmesan and breadcrumbs for gratinating (if you have homemade or crunchy breadcrumbs even better)
- a handful of crumbled walnuts
- oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, a pinch of curry to taste
Take the courgette flowers and wash them delicately. Remove the internal stalk, taking care not to break the flower petals and let them dry.
Separately, in a bowl, work the ricotta delicately with a wooden spoon and add the parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lastly the crumbled walnuts (this is our addition compared to Renato and Luisa).
Place the mixture in a piping bag (or in a syringe for desserts or use a simple teaspoon, taking care not to break the courgette flower. Place the stuffed courgette flowers in a bowl lightly rubbed with oil and sprinkle them with plenty of parmesan.
Place in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes with the grill turned on (previously!) so as to brown everything au gratin. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Guaranteed success (they are delicious… you won’t stop eating them)!
THE CHEF’S SECRET:
Yes, well… well… if you want to make a great impression (do you have an appointment, a candlelit dinner?) we recommend serving the courgette flowers on a… Parmesan fan… does it seem difficult? No way!
Take some grated parmesan and sprinkle it into a small pan that is not too large: try to obtain an even layer and place it on a low heat. The parmesan will begin to melt and form a crust. Let it cool a little (just enough time for it to start solidifying).
At that point, using a spatula, remove it from the heat and shape it as you like while it is still hot (you can place it on a rolling pin to obtain a wavy fan).
Once cooled, compose the dish with the parmesan and courgette flowers and eat it together… Really delicious!
