Poached Whole Zucchini with Lemon and Olive Oil
Poaching is not a common preparation here in the U.S., but in season all over Italy you will be served zucchini cooked this way, simply seasoned with salt and olive oil. It is a perfect method when excellent zucchini are abundant—convenient to do the cooking ahead. Let the zucchini cool and you can serve them many delicious ways—as an appetizer, a side dish, or the centerpiece of a summer salad. (See below for some good ideas.) You can expand this recipe as much as you want for large parties.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the zucchini but do not trim them. Bring a large saucepan or stockpot of water to a steady boil. Add the zucchini, but don’t cram them together or boil them too vigorously, because you want them to remain whole.
Step 2
Cook for about 20 minutes, partially covered. Near the end of the cooking time, check for doneness by lifting one squash from the water with a large slotted spoon or spatula. A perfectly cooked zucchini will be just soft enough to droop a bit on the spoon but won’t break apart. Carefully remove the zucchini, one at a time, to a colander or wire rack and lay them flat. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt over the squash, rolling them to distribute the salt evenly. Let cool for a few minutes.
Step 3
When you can handle them comfortably, trim the ends from each zucchini and cut them in half crosswise, into 3-inch pieces. Slice all of these lengthwise in half, and again into quarters, to form wedges. Arrange the wedges neatly on a serving platter, cut side up, in one or two layers, so you can dress them easily.
Step 4
Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon of salt evenly over all the slices (you may need a bit more if using very coarse grains of fleur de sel). Then drizzle the 3 tablespoons of oil all over and scatter the lemon zest. Let the zucchini absorb the flavors for a while before the final seasoning. Just before serving, sprinkle the lemon juice over the wedges. Taste a piece, and add more salt or lemon juice if you like.
Good So Many Ways
Step 5
Once you’ve cooked and cooled whole zucchini—and cut them into wedges, rounds, or cubes—dress them with any good salad dressing or with any of these cold sauces:
Step 6
Salsa Verde (page 362)
Step 7
Smooth Sweet Red Pepper Sauce (page 364)
Step 8
Cucumber, Yogurt, and Mint Sauce (page 363)
Step 9
Another way is to slice the poached zucchini into thin lengthwise strips and layer them into a gratinate with country bread, following the recipe on page 240.