Two weeks ago, we talked about tomatoes. Last week, we did corn. And so I realised it only makes sense to complete the peak-summer series and tackle courgette this week (this little ingredient series has turned out to be my Godfather trilogy, my Ring cycle, my Chronicles of Narnia).
While courgette doesn’t quite inspire the same rabid obsession you see with tomatoes and corn, I do love it, and in summer I always have some in the fridge.
It’s delicious grilled and then piled with herbs and lemon. It’s phenomenal shredded and then caramelised in a pan to make a smushy sauce for pasta. It makes amazing muffins and quick bread.
If you haven’t thought about it lately, I think you should.
Summer squash scampi
While scampi is a type of crustacean (also known as Dublin Bay prawn or Norway lobster), the word has also come to refer to the garlicky lemon-butter sauce that drapes prawns at Italian restaurants. But what if you lost the shellfish altogether? When summer squash is sliced and cooked only part way, they have a juicy snap similar to prawns, no mushiness. This rendition also maintains the lively flavours of garlic and lemon, which are only slightly mellowed by the residual heat of the sauce. Eat with pasta or crusty bread, or as a side dish to any summery meal.
By: Ali Slagle
Serves: 4
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
680g courgette pr other summer squash, sliced into 1½cm-thick rounds
Salt
Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes
120ml white wine
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and cold
1 tbsp lemon juice (from half a lemon)
1 tbsp chopped parsley, mint or basil leaves (or ½ tbsp chopped tarragon leaves)
Method:
1. Arrange the squash in a single layer and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt. Let sit for 10 minutes (and no more than 30). Pat dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel.
2. In a large (30cm) frying pan over medium-high, heat a thin layer of oil (about 1 tablespoon). Add a single layer of squash, salted sides down. Cook, without flipping, until browned underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter or large plate, and repeat with the remaining squash, adding more oil as necessary. Sprinkle with garlic and red-pepper flakes.
3. With the empty pan over medium-high heat, add the white wine (stand back as it may flame). Simmer until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and shake the pan until the butter melts and combines with the wine into a smooth sauce. Remove pan from the heat, add the lemon juice and shake to combine. Season to taste with salt, then pour over the squash. Top with the parsley and serve warm.
Grilled courgette with miso glaze
This dish plays on the sweetness and fruitiness of plump courgette. Scoring the flesh in a crisscross pattern creates crevices for the miso glaze to seep into while also allowing the heat to penetrate the courgette. Cooked quickly on high heat, the squash maintains its shape and heft, with flesh that is just tender enough. Covering the courgette with a lid during cooking locks in all the moisture, ensuring that it becomes juicy. A grill pan is ideal for achieving smoky char marks, but you could also use a regular pan or cook it on an outdoor grill (see tip). If you are cooking for a group, count on one courgette per person. Serve this as a side dish or with rice for a simple, quick and flavourful meal.
By: Hetty McKinnon
Serves: 4
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
4 courgette (about 900g), washed and halved lengthwise
3 tbsp white miso paste
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar
1½ tsp soy sauce
Neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed (or nonstick spray)
White or brown rice, for serving (optional)
2 spring onions, white and green parts, trimmed and finely sliced
Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Method:
1. Using a sharp knife (a small paring knife works best), score the courgette flesh in a crisscross pattern, taking care not to slice all the way through.
2. Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the miso paste, mirin, sugar and soy sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of water and whisk until combined.
3. Liberally brush the cut sides of the courgette with the glaze. Drizzle each piece with a little oil.
4. Heat a large grill pan (or a well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan) over medium-high. When hot, working in batches, place the courgette, glazed side down, onto the hot surface. Press the courgette onto the surface to encourage charring (if you’re using a regular frying pan, you may need to add more oil to the pan). Cook without moving for 2 to 4 minutes until golden and charred.
5. Flip the courgette over onto the skin side, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. To check for doneness, give the sides of the courgette a squeeze; if it yields easily, it is ready.
6. Remove the courgette from the pan and brush more glaze over the cut side. Serve on its own or on top of rice, if desired, and scatter with spring onions and sesame seeds.
Tip: To grill the courgette: heat a grill to medium-high, and clean and oil the grates. Grill the glazed courgette over direct heat, flesh side down, for 2 to 3 minutes, until there are char marks and the courgette has begun to soften and turn golden. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through. If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips.
Traybake chicken with courgette and basil
In this simple weeknight recipe, chicken thighs and drumsticks are seasoned with garlic, herbs and red-pepper flakes, and roasted alongside tender chunks of courgette that caramelise in the oven’s heat. Torn basil leaves and a squeeze of lemon give the dish sharp and tangy notes just before serving, while the optional coriander seeds tossed into the pan lend depth.
This recipe comfortably serves two to three, but if you’re feeding more people, feel free to double the ingredients. Divide the ingredients between two baking trays, and bear in mind that you might need to add a few minutes to the cooking time. Add some crusty bread or rice to soak up the savoury juices, and you’ve got a summery meal that’s fresh, full of flavour and an absolute snap to make.
By: Melissa Clark
Serves: 2 to 3
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
800g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
560g courgette, sliced into 2½cm chunks
2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a press or minced
2 tsp dried mint or oregano
1 tsp coriander seeds, cracked with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef’s knife (optional)
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Lemon wedges, for serving
25g torn fresh basil leaves, for serving
Method:
1. Heat oven to 220C. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place courgette on a rimmed baking tray, and season with a little more salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, mint or oregano, coriander (if using) and red-pepper flakes. Whisk in oil. Add chicken to the pan with the courgette pieces and pour garlic mixture over all, tossing until well coated. Spread chicken and courgette in a single layer, and roast until chicken is cooked through and courgette is browned and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. You don’t need to turn anything.
3. Once the pan is out of the oven, squeeze a lemon wedge over everything. Garnish with basil and serve with more lemon wedges and red-pepper flakes on the side.
Courgette pancakes
Mucver (pronounced moosh-vair) are delicate, crisp courgette pancakes popular in Turkey. This version has not just shredded courgette, but also tiny clouds of feta and a sprinkling of minced fresh dill and spring onions. They are crisp on the outside, tender within and subtly herbaceous. The trick to making the pancakes crisp and not soggy is to squeeze all the water out of the courgette before mixing it with the other ingredients. A little brute force is required.
Recipe from: Aytekin Yar
Adapted by: Elaine Louie
Makes: 12 pancakes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the pancakes:
3 medium courgette (about 450g), shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
60g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
150g crumbled feta cheese
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Pinch finely chopped dill
1 tsp baking powder
4 to 6 tbsp vegetable oil, more as needed
For the yoghurt sauce:
85g plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 120C. Place courgette in a colander over a bowl, and mix with ½ teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine courgette and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, ½ teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, spring onions, dill and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.
3. Place a cast iron frying pan or other heavy pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Place heaping tablespoons of courgette batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about 1cm thick and about 7½cm in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.
4. For yoghurt sauce: in a small bowl, combine yoghurt, garlic and salt. Mix well, and serve on the side or on pancakes.
Chocolate courgette loaf cake
This simple, one-bowl loaf cake isn’t actually dinner, but it is a sweet way to make the most of courgette season. Chocolate cake batter is flecked with shreds of raw courgette and studded with bittersweet chocolate chips for a summertime cake that’s fit for either breakfast or dessert. While some recipes call for squeezing the excess water out of the shredded courgette, this loaf cake takes full advantage of the summer vegetable: the courgette is taken directly from the grater to the bowl for additional moisture. The resulting cake strikes the perfect balance; it’s rich and fudgy, but still maintains a tender crumb. The cake will keep on the counter for 4 to 5 days, loosely covered, and only gets better with age.
By: Jesse Szewczyk
Makes: 1 loaf (about 8 servings)
Total time: 1½ hours, plus cooling
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray or neutral oil
2 large eggs
330g packed light brown sugar
180ml neutral oil (such as vegetable or safflower)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
280g lightly packed coarsely grated courgette (from about 1 large or 2 small courgette)
223g all-purpose flour
63g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
173g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp coarse sugar (such as turbinado or Demerara)
Method:
1. Heat oven to 160C. Grease a 22-by-12cm loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the long sides to create a sling.
2. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, light brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds. Add the grated courgette and mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
3. Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda directly into the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined and no pockets of unincorporated flour remain (try not to overmix). Add all but 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips to the batter and stir until evenly distributed.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar and the reserved chocolate chips, pressing them in slightly so they stick. Bake until the cake puffs slightly and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached or with smudges of melted chocolate chips (the chips will be dark brown versus the lighter colour of uncooked cake batter), 75 to 80 minutes.
5. Let the loaf cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the cake out of the pan and let cool completely on a rack before slicing, about 2 hours.
Tip: The cake can be baked in a 22-by-5cm round cake or springform pan. Grease the pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper round. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 55 minutes.
© The New York Times
