And yes, it was the best zucchini I’ve ever made.
A very real and definitely not edited photo of myself with Mr. Keller himself.
It’s finally summer, aKA, time for squash to shine
May has just come upon us, which means it’s finally Summer! My favorite produce season (sorry, Winter) is now in full session. Heirloom Tomatoes, Berries galore, and of course, our dear summer squash is ripe and ready for us to enjoy! Here is where you can read about all the fabulous varieties and choose the one that is best for your cooking method of choice.
So, why the TK Zucchini method?
I tried the Thomas Keller zucchini method, and yes, it was better.
This method made for the most tender, juicy summer squash that I’ve ever had. I heard of this gem from my sister who famously detests zucchini, which in my opinion was a sin to begin with. She told me that maybe this was finally the trick to getting it right, maybe she would finally like zucchini.
I confidently told her she just hadn’t had my zucchini yet, but I must admit that her admission was enough to convince me to finally give it a go.
let’s make the perfect zucchini
I’m going to give you a quick run down of this method, but if you want the full jazzy gist, read about it here, or take the full Master Class hosted by Thomas Keller.
Keller begins by cutting the zucchini lengthwise down the middle, but leave the top and bottom on, it’s prettier- trust me. Next, we cut the face side with a crosshatch. This allows for the salt we add after cutting to really get in there and draw out all the moisture. Salting our zucchini before cooking will give us a result that is perfectly tender and not overly moist.
Let the salt sit on there for about 10 minutes, then dab with a paper towel or your preferred environmentally friendly alternative.
Add a neutral oil to your oven safe pan and sear the zucchini face side down. This doesn’t take time, and a trained nose can smell when you’ve reached the right caramelization. The perfect caramel color, sunny and deep gold.
If you aren’t part of the trained nose club, thankfully Zucchini is not a protein and won’t stick to the pan. Check the sucker if you aren’t sure! No harm, no foul, but more importantly, no judgment here. Once browned, Immediately pop it into a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Trust me, this method broke my home chef’s brain. It literally makes for the perfect side dish, especially with our Homemade Pizza Recipe! I feel like a fool for serving any and all zucchini sides that were not this one. Sure, the Thomas Keller method is more labor intensive, but damn, it did not disappoint. Far from it, in fact. Once again, the king of Napa has won- and for good reason.
