I Tried the Recipe for Thomas Keller’s Viral Zucchini, and It’s the Perfect Side Dish (2024)

FAQs

What to pair with Thomas Keller zucchini? ›

Keller pairs his roasted zucchini with a flavorful, French Vierge Sauce, a fresh condiment made with diced tomatoes, herbs, olive oil and white wine vinegar that comes together in minutes.

Tossing the zucchini with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper before baking gives it an amazing foundation of flavor. But adding a few extra seasonings after it roasts really takes it over the top. At a minimum, toss it with a squeeze of lemon juice for bright, fresh flavor.

Zucchini is made of over 90% water. When cooked, it gets soft and slowly releases that water into whatever dish you're cooking. If zucchini is overcooked, it will have a mushy, soft texture. In certain recipes, the author may recommend that zucchini be patted dry or salted and drained before cooking.

'Costata Romanesco' This old-fashioned Italian variety is the best zucchini I have ever eaten. The ribbed fruits are attractive, and the dense flesh is packed with delicious zucchini flavor. Because the flesh is less watery than that of the higher-yielding commercial varieties, it remains firmer when cooked.

You can season the oil before you add the zucchini with garlic, shallots, spices, or red pepper flakes, it's totally up to you. Once the oil, butter, or combination thereof is heated, add all of the zucchini.

The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting. This moisture (and excess salt) is patted off with a paper towel before cooking. Added benefit: the salt works its way into the scores of the flesh and seasons the zucchini all the way to the center.

Slice and salt zucchini in advance of cooking to draw out some of the vegetable's excess moisture (while also seasoning it more thoroughly). To do this, cut up a pound of zucchini and toss it with ½ teaspoon of table salt. Let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes before patting it dry and cooking it.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

Otherwise, slicing with a knife is fine too. Sprinkle the 2 tsp of salt on the zucchini as you go and allow the zucchini slices to sit in a colander or for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run two fingers on either side of the slices, squeezing all the way down over a bowl or the sink, releasing even more water.

Why is my sauteed zucchini bitter? ›

Remove the Seeds: The seeds and surrounding flesh can sometimes contribute to bitterness. You can scoop out the seeds before cooking. Salt and Drain: Sprinkle salt on sliced zucchini and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. This draws out excess moisture and bitterness.

Mold - Maybe the most obvious sign that fresh produce has gone bad. If you see mold on your zucchini, it's time to toss it out. Soft spots - When inspecting whole zucchini, if you find any soft spots that easily indent or feel squishy, this is a sign that it has begun to rot inside.

This, the outlet asserts, is due to zucchini's high water content: If it cooks too slowly, it will release its moisture before it sears, becoming soggy and sodden. Over high heat, on the other hand, zucchini becomes caramelized on the outside but retains a meaty, firm texture within.

Cucumbers and pumpkins should not be planted next to zucchinis as they belong to the same family (Cucurbitaceae) and therefore attract similar pests and diseases. These can spread more easily when related plants are planted close together. Lovage and Jerusalem artichokes are also unfavorable neighbors for zucchini.

Here's how to grate a zucchini: Cut off the ends of the zucchini and rub it against the shredder side of a box grater to make a pile of squash that's perfectly sized for baking zucchini bread. You can also use the shredder blade in your food processor to quickly shred zucchini.

Certainly I know you can eat the skin on summer squashes, like zucchini, pattypan and yellow summer squash. With their thin skin and watery flesh, leaving the skins on helps give summer squash a pleasantly chewy texture.

While it's commonly served cooked, many people enjoy eating zucchini raw too, as it works great in salads, with dips, as a wrap, or even spiralized to make low-carb noodles.