Puccini Recipes

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)
• Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

PUCCINI

Steps:

• Squeeze mandarin orange and pass its juice through a sieve.
• Pour it into a flûte.
• Just before serving add sparkling wine.
• Garnish with orange zest.

PORCINI BUTTER

Steps:

• Finely chop garlic. In a small bowl soak porcini in boiling-hot water 20 minutes. Remove porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini to remove any grit and finely chop. Line a sieve set over a small saucepan with a dampened paper towel and pour reserved soaking liquid through it. Add porcini and garlic to saucepan and simmer mixture until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Cool mixture.
• In a bowl with a fork mash together butter, porcini mixture, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Transfer butter to a sheet of wax paper and roll into a 6-inch log. Butter may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days or frozen, wrapped in foil, 1 month. Bring butter to room temperature before using.
• Variations:
• Here are a few compound butters we find particularly versatile. Using the basic technique of mashing together butter and flavoring in the recipe above, and with a little imagination, you can create your own favorites.
• • Beurre maître d'hôtel: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
• • Truffle butter: 1 small black winter truffle or 2 small black summer truffles, chopped fine
• • Roquefort butter: 3 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort (only 1/2 stick butter needed for this variation)