This method of cooking zucchini was doing the rounds on socials recently claiming the result was creamy and tender. After some investigating down the Instagram rabbit hole, the simple technique originated from Thomas Kellar, a well known American chef, and salting is the key step to remove the excess moisture. It’s so worth giving it a whirl. I have added some of zucchini’s favourite flavour friends, like feta, any fresh herbs you have on hand and a good squeeze of lemon juice.  Add some chilli too for a kick, or any of Torello Farm’s pesto combos spread over the top. And yes it’s true, the zucchini is beautifully creamy and soft.

serves 4 as a side dish

4 medium zucchini (cooking time is based on 180g-200g each)

sea salt, to sprinkle

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

60g feta, crumbled

herbs you have on hand, chopped

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Pre-heat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan-forced).

Cut the zucchini in half lengthways. Then score on a diagonal in a criss-cross pattern, about 1cm apart, being careful not to slice through the skin. Lightly sprinkle a layer of  salt over the cut surface. Set aside for 15 minutes. This will draw out excess moisture.

Pat the cut surface with paper towel to absorb the excess water. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the zucchini cut-side down in a single layer. Fry for  about 3 minutes, checking occasionally,  until zucchini flesh is a light golden brown. Leaving the zucchini cut side down, transfer the frying pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until the zucchini is very tender when pierced with a knife (there’ll be no resistence).

Carefully transfer the zucchini cut side facing up to a serving plate (you can absorb excess oil with paper towel, if you want). Scatter over the feta and herbs, then a generous squeeze of lemon juice on top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, March 2023