Asian Zucchini

Zucchini is a great Summer squash, however cooking it can be tricky. I have found out that the secret is to pretty much not cook it at all, similar to the technique used in Chinese stir frying. However, it is difficult to impart flavour into the squash with such a brief cooking time. The techniques that I introduce into this recipe aim to impart flavour into this Summer squash without cooking it for long. The idea is remove the seeds and then to salt it ahead and thus remove some of the water, and then to impart flavour to the oil before introducing the squash to it. Asian

Ingredients:

 

• 1 large zucchini or two small ones
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 or 4 small hot peppers
• 1 tablespoon of chopped chives (or parsley)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooking olive
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of ginger
• 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil

Procedure:

 

1. Prepare the Zucchini
   • Cut the zucchini lenghtwise in half and then cut each half lenghwise in half.
   • With a small knife, cut the seeds out of the zucchini. Discard the seeds.
   • Cut the zucchini into a small dice (about 1 cm cube pieces).
   • Put the diced zucchini in a bowl and sprinkle with the with the salt and soy sauce.
   • Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
2. Flavour the oil
   • Place a fine mash strainer over a small bowl to have it ready.
   • Slice the garlic, the hot pepper, and the ginger.
   • Put the oil in a frying pan and put the garlic, ginger and hot pepper in the cold oil.
   • Cook over moderate heat until the oil warms up through and you can smell the garlic and ginger.
   • Using a heat-proof spatula drain the oil over the strainer and reserve until ready to cook.
3. Drain and sautee the zucchini
   • Put the zucchini on a strainer to drain and discard the water.
   • Heat the flavoured oil over moderate heat until very hot, but not smoking.
   • Add the zucchini to the hot oil, and the chives if using, and stir fry for about 90 seconds. You should just warm the zucchini through but for it to still be crisp.
   • Add the sesame oil
   • Remove to a plate, sprinkle with the lime juice and serve immediately.
   • Serve over young spinach leaves or with arugula.

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