Zucchini Omelet
“Tell me, Nanette? Can we get the 3ejjit Coussa recipe?” (Zucchini omelets)
My sisters-in-law and two nieces laughed in unison.
Oh Boy! What did I put myself into?
If you have been following my stories since 2012, you know how much my mother-in-law cooks by inspiration and is not particularly inclined to share the secrets that make all the difference in a dish, notoriously, the kebbeh! For the new readers around here, you’re in for a ride, and please know that I never give up… Someone needs to get the info and pass it on: I will gladly hustle through the process.
My mother-in-law Nanette was lying on the bed after an intense day in the kitchen, cooking a list of dishes each one of us, grandkids included, craved. She traveled a few days earlier to meet us, as we were all gathered in Paris for the holidays. No one would miss having Nanette’s specialties made to order. One of the dishes she prepared that day was “Stuffed Zucchini”; by tradition, the zucchini pulp removed when coring the vegetables is repurposed into a delectable omelet with herbs, scallions, and a few secrets I wanted to be divulged.
Nanette was relaxing on the left side of the queen-sized bed, I was semi-sitting on the right side, and the four other ladies squeezed towards the bottom half of the bed, but looking at us, front-row seat to what promised to be an entertaining recipe story.
As soon as my mother-in-law started talking, the dynamics were evident: True to herself, Nanette would share “generally blurry” quantities and methods, and I would second-guess every step of her story because of my previous experiences. The back and forth was quite funny, each of us playing a well-rehearsed character! Hahaha Two passionate cooks: she wanted to keep details approximate as I sought precision above all. To my surprise, my niece Yonna was sharing synchronized eye expressions to complement the details of her grandmother’s recipe. She knows! She just spent the day assisting her dear teta in the kitchen and is a great cook in her own right. My niece was determined to help; if Nanette said the recipe needed just a little grated garlic, Yonna would discreetly shake her head to imply a “no,… not little! It was a lot!!”. That young undercover agent would go on to share her valuable insights, mostly in silence, using her eyes, smirk, head position, hands, and shoulder inclination. I was adjusting my (abundant) note-taking to her real-time fact-checking! Thank you, Yonna, our sweetest Omelet Informant.
The original omelets call for zucchini pulp. I understand many of you won't make stuffed zucchini before tackling the zucchini fritters. I adapted the following recipe for those who crave that yummy nostalgic concoction without going through an elaborate stuffed zucchini meal.
Zucchini Omelet
Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Yields 10 omelets
Ingredients
3 to 4 medium zucchini, shredded (equals 4 cups of shredded zucchini)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs (I use XL eggs)
1 cup finely chopped parsley (measure once chopped)
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts) (approx 6 scallions)
1 teaspoon grated garlic
2/3 cup All-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
Directions
You will need a grater, a strainer, a medium bowl, a tea towel, paper towels, a frying pan (I used a 10-inch diameter pan), and a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
In a strainer, place the shredded zucchini, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and mix. Put the strainer over a bowl to catch all the green liquid drippings. Let it sit for 45 minutes. You can mix from time to time. You will notice how much “green juice” is coming out of the shredded zucchini! Pretty impressive, and the color is super cool too!
Meanwhile, mix the eggs with the parsley, white onion, and scallions in a medium bowl. Add the grated garlic, flour, sea salt, mint, thyme, rosemary, and allspice. Mix again until homogenous. Set aside.
Place the shredded zucchini on a tea towel, tuck your package well, and move near a sink. Twist the towel a little more and squeeze like you would seal a candy wrapper! Do this step above the sink, and you will soon notice the same green juice dripping again from the towel… into the sink! Don't ruin those shoes!! Hahaha Keep your hands and the towel above the sink. All these steps are essential to remove as much moisture as possible from the shredded zucchini. Hooray! The workout is over. You will end up with approximately 1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini.
Add the “squeezed zucchini” to the egg-flour-herb mixture and mix well.
10 minutes before frying the omelets, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the batter and mix again.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, scoop a 1/4 cup of batter into the hot oil and flatten it slightly (to get approx patties of 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. Fry on both sides until completely cooked through and golden. Remove from the pan and let it drain on a large plate lined with paper towels. You can enjoy them hot, at room temperature, or even cold, and they’re fabulous at any temperature.
Serve with lemon wedges, bread, or a simple green salad.
