I know, I know. It’s been awhile. And here I am posting not just a vegetarian recipe, but a VEGAN one? Maybe this is a cry for help that only those that know me well will see, maybe it’s just summer and that makes it zucchini season… Don't worry, I'll post something meaty next!
I kept seeing recipes for Thomas Keller’s magical zucchini with captions like “melt in your mouth,” “will change your life,” and “silky and custardy”. I usually grill zucchini, but since I was trying out the new Trader Joe’s lemon pesto, this seemed like a good side.
Ingredients:
2 zucchinis
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TB neutral oil with high smoke point (I used avocado oil)
Glaze:
Use your imagination - I used TJs balsamic glaze, but I saw miso maple on other recipes
Heat oven on 400°F.
Slice zucchini into halves length-wise. I am glad I left the stem on - it helps with the structural integrity later on. Cut a shallow cross-hatch pattern into the cut-side of each zucchini half. Each cut only needs to be about ¼ to ⅛-inch deep (In retrospect, I may have gone too deep).
Unleash your inner Salt Bae - sprinkle the cut side of each zucchini with a little bit of kosher salt. Turn the zucchini halves over so the salted, cut sides are face down on a paper towel, or in a colander set over a bowl to catch any water. Let the zucchini drain 15-20 minutes. This pulls the excess water out of the zucchini.
Quickly rinse the cut side of each zucchini under running tap water to get rid of any salt. Try not to invalidate the work you did in the previous step! Blot the cut sides with an absorbent kitchen towel or fresh paper towels to thoroughly dry them off. Make sure the zucchini are as dry as possible.
Heat a cast iron skillet or other oven-proof pan over medium heat, add the oil, and place the zucchini cut-side down in the pan. Make sure you pick a large enough pan for your zucchini halves to have full contact with the hot pan (Don't be like me...this was too small).
Cook zucchini until deep golden brown, about 7 minutes, as pictured above. You can use a pair of tongs to gently lift up an end of the zucchini to peek at the underside, but try not to completely flip the zucchini over. The zucchini will be fairly tender, and might fall apart.
Once the cut sides are deeply golden brown, place the cast iron skillet or oven-proof pan in the 400°F oven. Roast for 15 minutes or until zucchini are meltingly soft when pierced with a fork. If your zucchini are larger, you may need to add a few more minutes.
When the zucchini are meltingly tender, remove the pan from the oven. If you are going to use a glaze, turn the zucchini over so they are cut side up, and brush lightly with glaze. (You can also serve them simply without the glaze, maybe with just shaved parmesan). Return skillet with zucchini cut, glazed side up to oven under the broiler for 3 minutes until glaze just starts to bubble. Remove pan from oven. Salt and pepper to taste.
Were these life changing? It takes a lot for me to say that. But, was it delicious? Definitely. I would play around the with the glaze - next time maybe a soy/garlic situation. If you're already heating up the house with the oven, you should try these!
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