Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (157 page)

Recipes Using Coarsely Grated and Salted Zucchini

Courgettes Rapées

An interesting and easy way to serve zucchini or other tender summer squashes is to grate them, salt them so the vegetable water runs out, squeeze gently dry, and sauté in butter or olive oil for a few minutes until tender. You can then serve the zucchini as is, simmer it with cream, bake it in a sauce, or turn it into a molded custard. The preliminary sauté gives added flavor, as well as removing extra vegetable water. Anyone eating grated zucchini for the first time is almost certain to think it is a remarkable new vegetable.

TO GRATE AND SALT ZUCCHINI—OR OTHER SUMMER SQUASHES

Shave the stem and the tip off each zucchini (or other summer squash), scrub the vegetable thoroughly but not harshly with a brush under cold running water to remove any clinging sand or dirt. If vegetables are large, halve or quarter them. If seeds are large and at all tough, and surrounding flesh is coarse rather than moist and crisp, which is more often the case with yellow squashes and striped green
cocozelles
than
with zucchini, cut out and discard the cores. Rub the squash against the coarse side of a grater, and place grated flesh in a colander set over a bowl. For each 1 pound (2 cups) of grated squash, toss with 1 teaspoon of salt, mixing thoroughly. Let the squash drain 3 or 4 minutes, or until you are ready to proceed. Just before cooking, squeeze a handful dry and taste. If by any chance the squash is too salty, rinse in a large bowl of cold water, taste again; rinse and drain again if necessary. Then squeeze gently by handfuls, letting juices run back into bowl. Dry on paper towels. Zucchini will not be fluffy; it is still dampish, but the excess liquid is out.

The pale-green, slightly saline juice drained and squeezed out of the
zucchini has a certain faint flavor that can find its uses in vegetable soups, canned soups, or vegetable sauces.

  
COURGETTES RAPÉES, SAUTÉES

[Grated Zucchini Sautéed in Butter and Shallots]

This is the base recipe for sautéed grated zucchini. Serve it as is, with the addition of a little more butter, or turn it into one of the variations that follow. Like the blanched and sautéed zucchini pieces, this recipe goes with anything and is particularly useful when you want a rather neutral but attractive green accompaniment to creamed dishes like sweetbreads and elaborate soles in white wine sauces. You may also use it rather than spinach as a bed for poached eggs in hollandaise sauce, creamed chicken, and their like.

For 4 to 6 servings

1)
Preliminary sautéing

2 to 2½ lbs. zucchini (6 to 7 zucchini 8 by 1¾ inches, for example)

2 Tb butter

1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil

A large (11-inch) no-stick or enameled frying pan

2 to 3 Tb minced shallots or scallions

A cover for the pan if needed

Trim, wash, grate, salt, squeeze, and dry the zucchini as directed in notes preceding this recipe. (You will have 2 to 2½ cups.) Melt the butter with the olive oil over moderate heat, stir in the shallots or scallions, and cook for a moment, then raise heat to moderately high. When butter foam has begun to subside, add zucchini. Toss and turn it frequently for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking and swirling the pan by its handle. Zucchini is ready to serve as soon as it is tender; taste to check. (If you wish, you may cover the pan and finish cooking for a few more minutes over low heat.)

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: Zucchini may be completed to this point several hours in advance of serving. Set aside uncovered; cover when cool, and reheat before proceeding.

2)
Final flavoring and serving

More salt if needed, and white pepper

2 to 3 Tb soft butter, more if you wish

A rubber spatula

A hot serving dish

Shortly before serving, reheat the zucchini, tossing and turning it. Taste carefully for seasoning. Remove from heat and fold in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, with rubber spatula. Turn into hot dish and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

Courgettes Rapées à la Crème

[Grated Zucchini Simmered in Cream]

After sautéing the zucchini, Step 1 in the preceding Master Recipe, pour in about 1 cup of
crème fraîche
or heavy cream; simmer the zucchini for several minutes until cream has been absorbed and thickened. Reheat just before serving, and fold in a tablespoon or so of soft butter.

Courgettes Rapées, Sautées à la Provençale

[Grated Zucchini Sautéed in Olive Oil with Garlic]

Rather than sautéing the grated zucchini in butter, use olive oil for Step 1 in the Master Recipe. Retain the shallots or scallions if you wish, and add to them 1 or 2 cloves of mashed or finely minced garlic.

Courgettes aux Épinards

[Sauté of Grated Zucchini and Chopped Spinach]

The addition of spinach gives more character to a zucchini dish or zucchini gives more tenderness to a spinach dish, whichever way you want to look at it. Substitute this attractive combination for plain zucchini in any of the preceding or following variations. We have suggested olive oil and garlic here, but you may prefer the butter and shallots of the
Master Recipe
. We have also directed that the spinach receive a brief preliminary blanching in boiling water; however, this may be dispensed with if your spinach is young, tender, and fresh from the garden.

For 6 to 8 servings