Turn bland chicken into a delicious dish

A few months ago, I wrote about Hasselback potatoes, otherwise known as accordion or fan potatoes for their appearance once they’re baked. As it happens, the same preparation technique can be applied to a range of other foods, from chicken to zucchini to fruit.

Let’s start with zucchini or its cousin, the yellow squash. From a culinary standpoint, there’s not much difference between the two vegetables except their color. Both are considered summer squash, harvested young, while their skin is tender and seeds edible.

The most common type of zucchini is medium green in color, cylindrically shaped, about 8 to 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. These are best suited for the Hasselback approach; you’ll want to save the heirloom varieties or eight-ball zucchini for another time. If you’re using yellow squash, try to find those that are more uniform in shape, to ensure they cook evenly.

Since summer squash is faintly sweet, without any aggressive flavors, you can season them with anything from rosemary to cumin to Worcestershire sauce. The recipe below features garlic-infused butter, fresh thyme and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. After cutting slits along the length of the squash, about one-quarter inch apart, drizzle the herb butter between the slices and bake until tender. The result is so good, you may not want to give away the zucchini harvest from this year’s garden.

To make Hasselback chicken, the technique is identical. Select the flavor profile you’d like to showcase and turn bland, white-meat chicken into a delicious dish. We went with a caprese combination of mozzarella cheese, Campari tomato slices, snips of fresh basil and a splash of Balsamic vinegar.

The version in the photo was my first attempt and although it was very tasty, there are a few things I’d do differently next time. Because the chicken breast was slippery and seemed to squirm away while I cut the slits, my slices were a bit too far apart and not quite deep enough.

I’ve included a recipe for another combination that works well - wilted baby spinach and feta cheese. While it may seem like an extra step to cut the slits and stuff the spaces between them, instead of simply layering the ingredients on top of the chicken breasts, your efforts will be rewarded by the depth of flavor you’ll find in the moist chicken.

Now, for dessert - Hasselback apples. Choose a firm apple variety such as Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, since you’ll want them to remain intact, instead of becoming applesauce. I prefer to peel the apples, since the skin can remain too chewy. You can make the flavoring as complicated or as simple as you choose.

From caramel sauce topped with streusel to a drizzle of melted butter infused with cinnamon sugar, the baked apple will be tender and juicy. This dish is quite lovely and the flavor is always enhanced with a scoop of ice cream as garnish.

Hasselback Zucchini

4 medium zucchini
salt & pepper, to taste
2 minced garlic cloves
2 T butter
1/2 t fresh thyme leaves
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil; set aside. Wash, dry and trim the ends from the zucchini. Set one zucchini on your cutting board and place a chopstick along each side. With a sharp knife, cut slits the length of the zucchini, about 1/4-inch apart, without going all the way through the zucchini; use the chopsticks as a guide. Place the zucchini in the prepared pan, cut side up, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the garlic and butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave until the butter is melted, about 25 seconds. Stir thyme leaves into melted butter and pour evenly over the zucchini, aiming for the spaces between the slices. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

Hasselback Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper, to taste
2 C baby spinach leaves
2 T chicken broth
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
1/4 t oregano
pinch cayenne
1 T grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Trim chicken of any excess fat or skin strings. Place chicken breasts on a cutting board between 2 chopsticks. With a sharp knife, cut slits into the chicken about 1/2-inch apart, without going all the way through; use the chopsticks as a guide. Arrange chicken in the prepared pan, cut sides up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside. Combine the spinach and broth in a large skillet. Cook over medium high until leaves have wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese, oregano and cayenne; cover the pan and steam until cheese melts, 1 or 2 minutes. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, gently pushing some of the mixture into the slits.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Yield: 2 servings.

Hasselback Apples

2 firm apples
1 T butter
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
ice cream for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Peel the apples and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and core.

Place the apple halves on a cutting board, cut sides down. Place a chopstick along each side of one apple half and cut lengthwise slits about 1/4-inch apart across the apple, without going all the way through; use the chopsticks as a guide. Repeat for the remaining apple halves.

Arrange the apples on the prepared pan, sliced side up. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave until the butter is melted, about 20 seconds. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pour the butter mixture evenly over the apples and between the slits. Bake until apples are tender, about 25 minutes. Serve with a scoop of ice cream (optional). Yield: 4 servings.

Please send questions, comments and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net