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? ›

The bite of diced shallots is also mellowed by the vinegar. I modified Keller's recipe just a little by swapping fresh parsley for fresh basil—you just can't have summer tomatoes without a little fresh basil! You can also pair roasted zucchini with fresh salsa, chimichurri sauce or a homemade vinaigrette.

Salt your zucchini before cooking.

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.

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.

“I love foie gras. One of my most favourite things to eat is white truffle. To poach a lobster tail in butter or to place a crisp-skinned rouget against the vivid green of a parsley coulis is galvanising to me as a craftsman and cook.

Flip onto serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature. Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water.

Zucchini is rich in vitamin B6. Research suggests that this vitamin can help with regulating blood glucose. The vitamin may even play a protective role against diabetes. Compounds such as lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eye's cells by filtering blue light wavelengths.

Signs Zucchini Has Gone Bad

If your zucchini does have mold, toss it. Wrinkly skin: A spoiled zucchini's skin may look wrinkly or shriveled like a prune. Discoloration: Yellowing or browning on zucchini are signs of aging and spoilage. Soft spots: Pick up your zucchini and assess it for firmness.

Avoid planting zucchini and summer squash with all other vining plants which include cucumbers and sweet potatoes as well as pumpkins, winter squashes, and melons.

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.

Zucchini contains the water-soluble fiber pectin. Pectin may lower bad cholesterol and lipid levels in a person's blood, promoting good heart health. Furthermore, zucchini is also high in potassium, which can help manage high blood pressure.

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.

What causes this bitterness? All cucurbits produce chemicals called cucurbitacins, which cause the vegetables to taste bitter and served as a defense against plant-eating wildlife. Cucurbitacin also contributes to the musky scent of cantaloupe.

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.

Grate, don't chop.

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.

What Is Thomas Keller Zucchini? The key to Keller's zucchini is a five-minute pan-fry in canola oil followed by a 25-minute roast in a high-heat oven. The pan-fry will caramelize the zucchini while the oven cooking will soften it until it's perfectly tender.

Zucchini, yellow squash, and crookneck squash all have completely edible skin and seeds. Pattypan squash generally has edible skin, but the larger the squash the tougher the skin is. Take the time to roast a larger pattypan so the skin becomes softer, and you may want to remove the large seeds.