This coming week I'm teaching a class featuring ways
to use corn and zucchini. As I was
considering what recipes to include in the class, I remembered a preparation
that we made when I was at The American Restaurant called Zucchini
Mousseline. Made of nothing more than
zucchini and olive oil, it was a favorite of mine—used (among other things) as part
of a summer vegetarian plate featuring the ingredients of ratatouille and also as
a garnish for a fish entrée. For some
reason I hadn't made it—or even thought of it—in years. I decided a class would be the perfect time
to resurrect this dish.
Of course, the desire to recreate a recipe is not
always matched by the ability to do so.
Unfortunately, as the years have passed, I have found that many things I
made so often that I would have been able to make them in my sleep have slipped
into vague memories. Notes that passed
for recipes at the time are never as complete as I would like. I console myself with the knowledge that I am
not alone in this...I have heard other long time professional cooks complain
about the same thing.
In the case of the zucchini mousseline, recreating
something similar to that long ago dish was not too much of a stretch. My notes were better than I had hoped they
would be. Also, the small number of
ingredients...and simplicity of the method...were in my favor. I can't guarantee that the zucchini
mousseline that I am presenting here is identical to the one we made at the
restaurant...another line cook or chef might remember it in a slightly
different way...but I think it is very close.
And happily, it is just as I remember it: light, creamy, beautifully green and
intensely flavored—just the thing to go with fish...or vegetables...or anything
else you think might benefit from the presence of a fluffy mousse of
zucchini....
The recipe as I have it written down from my
restaurant days is as follows: Wash, top
and tail some zucchini.
Cut into roughly
4-inch lengths (making it more manageable for standing on end). Stand the lengths on end and slice sections
of the skin off, taking as little of the white flesh as possible.
Cut these slices of into quarter inch batonnets.
Sweat in olive oil until tender.
Place in the blender and purée, adding a
little more olive oil if it's too dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
If you are wondering, the centers of the squash were
simply discarded. The reason for doing
this is twofold. First...and most
importantly...for large zucchini, the seedy core is watery and coarsely
grained. Including it would make for a
watery, thin purée (more of a sauce than a "mousse") with a coarser
texture and a much less intense flavor. (There
is no added water used to cook the zucchini for the same reason.) The second reason—and this is minor, in my
opinion—is that the cores are white and including them will give a less deeply
colored purée.
I don't like to waste food, so tossing the cores bothers
me a bit. They could probably be grated
and added to a zucchini baked good of some kind...but I don't think I would
really want to do that since one of the things I like about zucchini breads and
cakes is the pretty flecks of green.
Rather than waste so much product, I have specified in
my recipe to seek out small squash (less than 200 grams each, if possible). If you have very small squash (100 grams or
less), you will find that the seed cavity is small, with relatively undeveloped
seeds. At this size too, the flesh is
still finely grained and dense (which in addition to having less water, makes
for a more velvety purée). Using all of the squash—including the interior—when they are this size makes good sense to me. For squash
weighing more than 100 grams I discard the cores...although for squash between
100 and 200 grams the cavity is not quite so developed and the waste will be
small. For large squash, you will just
have to live with a larger amount of loss if you wish to maintain the integrity
of the recipe and obtain a purée with nice body and a velvety texture.
In my recipe, I specify that the cooked squash be
puréed using an immersion blender. At
the restaurant we used a traditional blender, but it was a very powerful
Vitamix blender. When I tried to use my
blender at home, it was impossible to get the squash to "move" in the
blender without adding several tablespoons of water. If you have a Vitamix...or something
similar...you will not have the same difficulty. I would not use a food processor...since it
is more adept at mincing than puréeing, it will not produce satisfactory results.
For my class I will be serving the mousseline as an
accompaniment to corn fritters. We
sampled it that way at home...and it was delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. I did, however take pictures of a couple of
the other ways that we enjoyed it.
I mixed the leftovers of my first batch with some
whole milk ricotta, garlic, lemon and thyme.
Topped with a few toasted walnuts...and a drizzle of olive oil...it made
a delicious spread—which I enjoyed for lunch.
I'm confident it would also make a fine mezze or appetizer for your next
summer dinner party.
Finally, remembering how delicious the mousseline was
with fish at the restaurant, I served it for our dinner one evening with some
pan-seared halibut and a medley of roasted corn, zucchini, olives and cherry
tomatoes. And I have to say, it was very, very good. Not only that, it was super simple to
prepare. And considering that almost
everything can be prepared ahead, it is a perfect candidate for summer
entertaining. (Although I hope you won't
wait for a party to make it!)
Once you have experienced zucchini mousseline, I
predict you will come up with all kinds of ways to use it... As I have in a spread...or with fish—or
perhaps with lamb...or as a sauce for pasta.
It is surprisingly full flavored...nutty and rich...truly the essence of
zucchini—and a delicious and elegant way to use up some of the bounty of this
most prolific member of the summer vegetable garden.
Zucchini Mousseline
1 lb. small to medium zucchini (preferably no bigger
than 6 oz. each)
about 3 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper
If your zucchini are very small (weighing less than 3
1/2 oz. each), simply trim the ends, cut them in half lengthwise and slice them
thinly (less than a quarter inch thick) cross-wise. If they are larger (but hopefully, still
smaller than 6 oz. each), trim the ends and cut them in half cross-wise. Stand these segments of squash on end and
slice the green and white flesh away from the seedy center. Discard the "cores" and cut the
trimmed strips thinly (less than a quarter inch thick) cross-wise.
 |
Slices of larger squash with cores removed next to
slices of small squash with cores intact. |
In a wide sauté pan, warm a tablespoon or so of olive
oil over medium heat. Add the squash
pieces along with a pinch of salt.
Toss/stir to coat the squash in the oil.
The squash should sizzle gently.
Cook (without allowing the squash to color) until it is tender...the
white portion of the squash will become slightly translucent and tinged with
green...about 12 to 15 minutes.
Scrape the contents of the sauté pan into a tall
narrow container just wide enough to accommodate an immersion blender. Use your immersion blender to purée the
zucchini. If it doesn't want to purée
smoothly, add another tablespoon or two
of olive oil...and maybe a tablespoon of water, but don't add a lot of water,
you are creating a fluffy purée with enough body to mound on a spoon...too much
water and you will create a sauce (see note).
Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.
Makes about 1 cup of mousseline
Notes:
- If you do not wish to discard the seedy cores, you may prepare your mousseline with them, just know that your purée will be thinner (the seedy cores are watery) and a much paler green color.
- If you are planning on thinning down the mousseline to a sauce consistency, you may cook the zucchini covered (as for a classic étuvée)—simply add the squash to the pan, toss to coat in the oil, cover and reduce the heat to very low. Covering the pan will conserve the water in the squash...making it easier to purée, and resulting in a thinner, less mousse-like consistency.
- If you wish to make the mousseline into a spread with ricotta cheese, you must cook the squash uncovered and discard the seedy cores.
- If you have a very powerful blender (like a Vitamix) you may purée the cooked zucchini in the blender. The food processor will yield inferior results, as it will not purée the squash to a fine enough consistency to create a mousse-like texture.
Creamy Zucchini & Ricotta Spread
1 c. zucchini mousseline
3/4 c. whole milk ricotta (drained if wet)
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 to 1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. picked thyme, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Toasted walnuts, coarsely broken
Place the first six ingredients in a bowl and stir
until well blended. Season to taste with
salt & pepper...adding more lemon juice, if necessary.
Serve mounded in a bowl, or dolloped onto individual
plates, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with walnuts. Serve crisp toasts or pita chips.
Printable Version
Pan-Seared Halibut with Zucchini Mousseline
& a Summer Medley of Corn, Zucchini, Tomatoes and Olives
1 1/3 c. diced zucchini (1/4- to 1/3-inch dice)
1 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling and frying the
halibut
1 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 c. kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 recipe zucchini mousseline
4 5 oz. portions halibut (skinless)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 T. lemon juice, plus more for drizzling
In a skillet large enough to hold the
zucchini in a snug single layer, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the
zucchini, a generous pinch of salt and enough water to come half way up the
sides of the zucchini. Cook over
moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is barely
tender and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes; add a bit more water if
the zucchini starts to brown. Transfer
to a plate to cool...or, if using right away, simply set the pan aside off of
the heat.
About 15 minutes before you are ready to
serve, place the zucchini, corn, cherry tomatoes and olives in a large bowl. If necessary, warm the zucchini mousseline in
a small saucepan over low heat, or warm briefly in the microwave.
Heat a large—preferably non-stick (cast
iron or French steel is best)—sauté pan over moderately high to high heat. While the pan is heating, season the fish
with salt and pepper. Add enough olive
oil to coat the pan. The pan is ready
when a wisp of smoke is visible rising from the oil. Carefully add the fish to the pan, service
side down (this is the side that was next to the bones..and the side that will
face the diner when the fish is served), gently sliding the pan back and forth
as you add each piece to make sure the fish has a film of oil underneath. (If the fish doesn't move when you slide the
pan back and forth, just leave it alone, tilting the pan occasionally to allow
the oil to seep underneath the fish...as the surface seals, the fish will
release itself from the pan.) Let the
fish cook undisturbed, regulating the heat to maintain and active sizzle, until
it is golden brown—anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the fish over and continue to
cook on the other side until the fish is cooked to your liking. Because halibut is a very lean fish, I like
it to be a bit underdone, with a thin line of translucence in the center...but
you should cook it as you prefer. If the
fish is very thick, you may need to transfer the pan to a 375° to 400° oven to
allow it to finish cooking. Total
cooking time (from the time the Halibut hits the sauté pan) will be about 7 or
8 minutes per inch of thickness.
Carefully transfer the fish to a plate and drizzle with olive oil and a
squeeze of lemon juice.
Drizzle a half tablespoon of lemon juice
over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. If necessary, drizzle with olive oil to
moisten. Taste and correct the seasoning
with lemon juice, salt & pepper.
To serve, spread a small round of the
mousseline in the center of each plate.
Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the vegetables,
then the fish
and
finally another couple of spoonfuls of the vegetables, allowing the vegetables
to fall naturally around the plate.
Serve right away. Serves 4.
Note: To roast corn, place
the corn (in the husk) in a preheated 375° oven. Roast for 20
minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the husks as soon as you are
able to handle the corn. Cool and cut the kernels away from the
cob. A large ear of corn will produce about 1 cup of kernels. I
like to roast several ears at a time—then I have it on hand for a quick lunch
salad with tomatoes and avocado...or to add to a quick pasta for dinner.
Printable Version
