Saltimbocca with Cod
Recipe for Saltimbocca of Cod with Italian Vegetables
Saltimbocca alla romana is a highlight of Roman cuisine. It usually consists of small veal cutlets that are pan-fried with a slice of ham and a sage leaf—sometimes rolled up beforehand. Saltimbocca roughly translates to “jump into the mouth,” because the Romans found this culinary combination so delicious that it literally jumped from the pan straight into their mouths.
This saltimbocca recipe is just as bite-sized, though we’re not preparing it the Roman way—instead, we’re giving it a coastal twist with cod (“merluzzo”). After all, one of the great things about Italian cuisine is that the basic idea behind a recipe comes in many different variations. This is a saltimbocca for fish lovers that, much like cod in tomato and salted lemon sauce, is heavily influenced by Sicilian cuisine. Molto delicato.
Ingredients
320 g cod
1 zucchini
6 slices of Parma ham
4 sage leaves
Olive oil
1 can of ORO di Parma unpeeled cherry tomatoes (400 g)
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
Salt
Black pepper
½ tsp brown sugar
Step 1 : The Preparation
If you're using frozen fish, thaw the cod on a slotted baking sheet or in a large colander. Cut the cod fillet into several serving-sized pieces. You can plan on about 160g of fish per person.
Next, wash the zucchini, pat them dry, and trim off both ends. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise. Then cut them diagonally into thin strips. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
Squeeze the juice from one lemon, rinse the sage under cold water, and pat it dry. Now preheat the oven to 160 °C (top and bottom heat).
Step 2 : How to Pan-Fry Cod Saltimbocca
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Drizzle the lemon juice over the cod, then lightly salt the fish and season with freshly ground pepper. Next, place one or two sage leaves on top of the cod. Now wrap the cod fillets tightly in several slices of Parma ham and sear them in the pan over medium heat for one to two minutes on all sides.
Step 3 : Cook the cod in the oven
After searing the fish, carefully remove it from the pan and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the cod saltimbocca in the oven for about 15–20 minutes at 160°C using top and bottom heat.
Step 4 : Sauté the vegetables
In the meantime, prepare your vegetables. To do this, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, then toss the zucchini in the skillet. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and add a little brown sugar. Then add the cherry tomatoes with their juice and let the tomato-zucchini mixture simmer over medium heat until the sauce has completely reduced.
Step 5 : The Finale
To serve, divide a portion of the vegetables among the plates and place the cod saltimbocca on top. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
320 g cod
1 zucchini
6 slices of Parma ham
4 sage leaves
Olive oil
1 can of ORO di Parma unpeeled cherry tomatoes (400 g)
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
Salt
Black pepper
½ tsp brown sugar
