Grilled zucchini is perfect for summer dinners and barbecues. Served as a main course or appetizing side dish, they are easy to prepare using any type of grill, whether outdoor or electric. Tasty and crunchy, zucchini is a versatile vegetable that lends itself to numerous experiments in the kitchen.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Simple Recipe
Step 1. Heat the grill
To be delicious, courgettes need to be cooked well, so you need to set the grill to medium temperature. If you set it to the maximum, the grating marks will remain on the courgettes, characteristic of grilling. However, if you are afraid of burning them, it is better to opt for a medium temperature. You can always cook them longer if you don't get the desired result.
- Heating a gas or electric grill is easy. Turn it on, turn on the gas and press the gas lighter (if the grill is gas). Close the lid and let it warm up. If you're using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal. Wait until it gets hot. Read this article on how to light a charcoal barbecue to learn more.
- While you wait for the grill to heat up, do some more preparations. For example, you could set the table, cook the other dishes, or start cutting zucchini (read on to learn how).
Step 2. Slice the zucchini
To grill them, the secret is to use thin rather than thick slices, which tend to burn on the surface, while remaining raw inside. Below are several effective ways to cut them:
- Cut them into circular slices 0.5-1.5cm thick, easier to work with and eat. It is a cut particularly suitable for those who want to serve zucchini alone.
- Cut them into cubes from the edge of about 0.6-1.5 cm, so that you get some morsels, perfect for skewers.
- Cut it into wedges. Long, thin wedges cook well on the grill. Cut the courgettes lengthwise trying to get 8 parts.
- Slice the courgettes into long, thin strips. This type of procedure is a little more difficult. You should cut them in length trying to get strips of about 2 mm thick. You need to have a steady hand, but it is an excellent cut for those who want to roll other ingredients with zucchini in order to create mini rolls.
Step 3. Drizzle the courgettes with cooking oil
Once cut, transfer them to a bowl and calculate about 1 tablespoon of oil for each zucchini you intend to cook. Mix well until they are evenly coated. The oil allows them to flavor, favors cooking and prevents them from sticking to the hot grill.
Despite being flavorful, olive oil has a low smoke point. This means that at high temperatures it begins to release volatile substances. If you'd rather avoid it, try a higher smoke point oil, such as sunflower, canola, or peanut oil
Step 4. Place one courgette at a time on the grill with the help of tongs
In contact with the hot surface they should start to sizzle. Grill them for about 2 minutes without touching them.
- If you cut them into thin pieces, be sure to lay them at a 90 ° angle to the lattice to prevent them from falling out.
- If you are concerned that they will stick to the grill, carefully oil the lattice with a barbecue brush or paper towel before setting them down.
Step 5. After a few minutes, the part in contact with the grill should become soft and golden
Flip the courgettes to cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until they are completely cooked, becoming tender and golden.
To cook them evenly, flip them in the same order you placed them on the grill to make sure they cook for the same amount of time on each side
Step 6. Season and serve
When cooked, place them on the plate. Let them rest for a few minutes to cool enough to eat, then season as you wish and serve them immediately. Now the courgettes are ready: enjoy your meal!
Zucchini can be seasoned as desired. However, if you want to satisfy the palate of all diners, try to season them lightly with salt and pepper. You can also use garlic salt and other spices
Part 2 of 2: Ideas for Other Recipes
Step 1. Try marinating them using a vinaigrette
If the usual taste of zucchini has tired you, try to modify it by marinating them before cooking. Mix cooking oil with a sour ingredient of your choice (such as vinegar or citrus juice). Add the seasonings you want and let the zucchini marinate before proceeding. Here is an example of a marinade:
- Mix 60ml of balsamic vinegar and 120ml of olive oil. Add some garlic powder and a dollop of dried rosemary, basil, and oregano, depending on the herbs you have in the kitchen. Pour the marinade into an airtight container, place the courgettes and let them marinate for a few hours before cooking them.
- Don't worry if you're in a hurry and don't have time to marinate zucchini. Just mix them in a bowl full of ready-made vinaigrette (calculate 60ml per courgette) and cook right away.
Step 2. Make a garlic and lemon sauce
The delicate flavor of zucchini goes perfectly with the pungent taste of citrus fruits, the penetrating aroma of garlic and the richness of butter. This sauce is great for dressing grilled zucchini: use it instead of cooking oil to grease them before cooking.
Melt ½ stick of butter with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Grate some lemon zest until you get a tablespoon and pour it over the mixture. Add a teaspoon of garlic powder and dried oregano. If possible, use a pinch of curry powder as well. Grease the courgettes with the sauce and grill them as usual
Step 3. Make a citrus and salt mixture
Do you want to make grilled zucchini even tastier? Try making a mixture by mixing the zest of your favorite citrus fruit with some simple salt. Then, sprinkle it on the zucchini before serving. The recipe shown below uses lemon, but you can also opt for limes, oranges or any other ingredient you want.
Cook the zucchini as usual and set them aside. As they cool, take 3 lemons and grate the zest on a cutting board using a fine grater until you have a small pile. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then chop the zest and salt with a knife, mixing them. Immediately use the mixture to season the zucchini and serve them. If you wait too long, the salt will dissolve
Step 4. Serve them with the pesto
Zucchini is tasty on its own, but if you want to create a more interesting dish, try serving it with pesto. You can dip them in the sauce as if they were chips, or cut them into very thin slices and make mini rolls with pesto: the choice is yours. In the recipe below, the pine nuts can be replaced with a handful of chopped walnuts.
Cook the zucchini as usual. In the bowl of a blender, place 1 cup of basil leaves, a clove of garlic, ½ cup of olive oil and 60 g of toasted pine nuts. Work it until you get a homogeneous mixture. Gradually pour in 180 g of Parmesan, operating the blender from time to time to obtain a thick and creamy mixture. Serve the courgettes with a small bowl of pesto, but you can also stuff them as if they were mini rolls
Step 5.
Try making skewers.
To enjoy an exquisite and delicious dish, skewer the zucchini with a skewer, alone or together with other ingredients. Zucchini goes perfectly with almost any grilled food, so make the skewers as you wish considering the ingredients you have available. Here are some ideas.
- Vegetables and greens: summer squash, peppers, onions, mushrooms;
- Meat: chicken, lamb, pork, beef;
- Read this article to find out more.
Try melting some Parmesan on the zucchini. Thanks to its intense flavor, this cheese goes well with the delicate taste of zucchini. By melting it on the zucchini during cooking, you will get a crunchy and at the same time creamy side dish. Here's how to prepare this dish:
To make the Parmesan courgettes, cut them into large, thin pieces, then grease them and lay them on the grill as usual. Carefully sprinkle grated Parmesan on each piece, then close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Once the courgettes are tender and the cheese has melted, remove them from the grill - they don't need to be turned
Try cooking them together with other ingredients using a grill basket, so you can cook multiple foods at a time. The grill basket, which is basically a small metal container with a handle sold as a barbecue accessory, allows you to do this very easily. Fill it with vegetables and greens, then place it on the hot grill. In addition to browning the food and making it crunchy, it favors the union of various flavors. This accessory also has another function: it leaves the grill free, so you can use it to cook meat or other dishes.
- To prepare the vegetables for cooking in the basket, cut them into pieces of similar size and grease them with olive oil. Season as you wish (for example with rosemary and garlic powder) and mix well. Place the vegetables and greens in the basket, then place them on the hot surface of the grill.
- In the absence of a basket, a similar effect can be achieved by wrapping the vegetables in aluminum foil.
Choose Good Zucchini
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Look for small to medium zucchini. Large ones are not recommended for grilling, as the flavor tends to "disperse". Consequently, when compared to small ones, they are watery and less flavorful. It is therefore good to opt for small courgettes, perfect for grilling.
Zucchini Step Grill 14 Generally speaking, zucchini shouldn't be much larger than a torch. After a length of about 15-20 cm, the flavor begins to suffer
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The color should be vibrant. Did you know that not all zucchini are green? In fact, the mature ones can also be yellow or even white. Whichever color you choose, check the vegetable to make sure it has an intense, bright color.
Zucchini Grill Step 15 Dull-looking zucchini, on the other hand, should be avoided, as it is possible that they are going bad
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Choose courgettes with a firm and smooth texture. A ripe zucchini, ready to be grilled, should be firm, but not hard: the pulp should give way slightly when pressed. Also, examine the vegetable lengthwise for cuts and other deformations. If you see any imperfections, choose another zucchini.
Zucchini Step Grill 16 The best courgettes have a very soft, almost imperceptible "down". You should be able to feel it with the back of your hand
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Store the zucchini in the refrigerator. Fresh, good quality zucchini lasts about a week in the fridge. If possible, store them in a paper bag rather than a plastic one. Airtight plastic containers can trap moisture, making zucchini soggy and spoiling earlier.
Zucchini Step Grill 17 If stored well, they can be stored for months in the freezer. In this case, wrap them tightly in cling film or put them in an airtight bag. Blanching them before placing them in the freezer can prevent them from undergoing discolouration and losing their original consistency during freezing. Read this article to find out more
Advice
- If you also grill the meat, avoid it coming into contact with the zucchini when it is raw. If this happens, cook them a little longer to get rid of the bacteria.
- Zucchini goes particularly well with summer squash. In fact, since these vegetables are related, they have a similar taste.
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- ↑ https://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,, 50400000113214, 00.html
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