Courgette Roses

Just a quick post with a recipe I came up with yesterday evening that I have to admit that I’m deeply, blushingly proud of. Enter ‘courgette roses’, my delicious (and if I may add, surprisingly pretty) courgette-filled cross between a frittata & a soufflé.

It’s rare for me to boast about a recipe, but I really think these little courgette cups will quickly become a staple in your brunch & dinner egg recipe repertoire as they’re only minimally fiddly to make but look really impressive; like you came home early to make them (you didn’t) or have artistic tendencies (you might, but you don’t need them to make these), and they taste great.

As well as that, their texture is winsomely fluffy, like a homemade soufflé; but without the fuss that making one at short notice on a warm evening would entail. So if you have a vegetarian coming to tea, or you just fancy something summery for dinner, give these courgette roses a go. I think you – and all the people around your table – will love them.

COURGETTE ROSES

Ryan suggested calling them ‘frittoufflés’ or ‘soufflatas’, but I think neither of those names are entirely appetising, so courgette roses it is.

Serves 4 as part of a light dinner or substantial lunch/brunch

2 courgettes

2 heaped tablespoons of ricotta

4 eggs

1 inch piece of parmesan, finely grated

1 clove of garlic, peeled & finely diced

Salt & black pepper

Fresh herbs, to serve

To make them, preheat your oven to 180°c, place the unpeeled courgettes on a board & use a vegetable peeler to cut long strips down the full length of each courgette, applying a fair bit of pressure to keep the thickness of the slices consistent. When you have all the slices prepared, lay them between pieces of kitchen paper and blot gently to remove any surface liquid.

Place the diced garlic in a large bowl along with the ricotta & parmesan and stir till combined. Beat the eggs then add to the bowl and whisk till the mixture is completely incorporated. Season with salt & pepper.

For each portion, wind the courgette slices around the inside of a ramekin in slightly irregular concentric circles. Alternate thick & thin slices & distort the circles slightly to make it look more like a rose than a completely regular spiral. For the final slice at the centre of the rose, wrap it into a tight little cylinder and place it in the middle, pulling it up slightly & manipulating it so that it looks like the centre of a rosebud. [This will be easier to understand when you’re actually doing it, promise].

Divide the egg mixture between the four ramekins so that it comes up almost to the top of each dish, tilting from side to side to spread the liquid evenly throughout the courgette ‘petals’ [I’m committed to the rose metaphor]. Place the ramekins on a baking tray before baking (the mixture will rise slightly during cooking) and bake for about 30 minutes, or until they’re golden and just set (ie, no liquid remains at the top). Cooking them under a grill setting for the last few minutes will make the petals look more prominent but is not essential. Either serve them immediately in their ramekins or run a knife around the rim to turn them out, topping with chopped fresh herbs.