Zucchini deserves better – here's how to cook well

Zucchini is a final summer vegetable. It appears in abundance – waiting for the moment of market compartments in farmers, crowded garden beds and kitchen counter, waiting for the moment. But too often, this moment ends in a pile of paste when it tries to destroy it in a pan.

The problem is not the vegetable itself. A slightly sweet and gentle, grassy -flavored zucchini soak, which the road throws. It is versatile, quickly bypass and offers gentle balance for louder flavors if it is properly toasted.

Because it is mostly water, zucchini often makes an unintentional excursion to the steam bath in the pan and leaves you with soft, pale slices instead of the following tanning. Fortunately, the perfectly chewed and brown zucchini repair is simple and fast.

5 The key technique of perfect toasted zucchini

1. Slice (but not too thin). The rather thick pieces keep their structure better than the thin slices, so after cooking, something needs to be bitten. Aim for 1/4-1/2 inches of thick circles or half-moins. Too thin slices tend to overburden and run before they have a chance to tan, while thicker cuts can be browned from the outside, but they can remain crispy and under -consumed in the middle. This middle road thickness reaches the sweet spot: the pieces are strong enough to retain their shape, but thin enough to seek and develop the golden edges.

2. To salt. Discard the cut zucchini with two teaspoons of kosher salt, whole zucchini per pound. Place the slices in a filter bowl over a bowl and let it take approx. Sit for 30 minutes. You will be surprised at how much fluid you will release. This water causes zucchini steam instead of SEAR; It pulls out that it means less moisture, better tanning in the pan, and a more concentrated taste – a big victory for a slight vegetable.

3. Dry. Clean the slices with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. This step ensures that it does not return the released water to the pan.

4. Sauté in hot oil. Heat a little oil (I prefer olive oil rather than fruity taste, but you can use any cooking oil) in a frying pan with medium to high heat until it glitter. The pan should be warm when the slices start to cook. Add the zucchini in a single layer of pan and make sure that you do not overbound the pan. Once in the frying pan, only occasionally throw the zucchini to have a chance to caramelize. It is better to try to get a good hard Sear on one of the cut sides than to try to brown the slices, which is where there is a risk that they are over cooked.

5. Cook until it's gentle. This is indisputably the most important step. Do not let zucchini over cooked – unless you intentionally cook the sauce or turning it into a dip. Otherwise, such as serving as a side, the goal is gentle and does not disintegrate. After about 10 minutes, it will be a golden, brown zucchini, which is tasteful, gentle and structurally grounded – not wet or fall apart.

How to serve zucchini

Zucchini is really adapted vegetables – I often cook with just a few simple supplements. After starting to tan, I throw an unlimited amount of garlic. Then I finish with fresh lemon juice, a generous hell sprinkling, and a torn mint exploded to reach the brightness and contrast. While I love to make it easy, the delicacy of zucchini takes on more confident spices like cumin and turmeric, as well as salty flavors such as Miso and soy sauce. Excellent besides the grilled meat, folded into sandwiches, or cool, herby, lemon yogurt sauce, preferably with chili oil with a spoon on top. Zucchini's mildness does not hold back – this is what gives him a multitude.

No, it's not as eye -catching as a mature tomato. But when he deliberately cooked, Zucchini becomes a reliable summer cap that he will really wait for.