mix, mix…stir, stir

 It was Iron Chef Bobby Flay vs. Gabrielle Hamilton, owner and Chef of Prun restaurant in NYC in battle Zucchini. As always there were many interesting dishes created, but one in particular hit me as a must-make. The first factor is that it looked delicious and the judges raved about it. Secondly, it looked very straight forward as in I didn’t actually need a recipe to make it work, and the kicker was the use of Harissa.  I just happen to have been given a jar of wonderful Harrissa recently.

Harissa is a hot chili paste used frequently in North African cuisines especially Tunisia and Morocco. It is commonly used as both a condiment and an ingredient. Typically it is made from dried chilies, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and various spices such as coriander, cumin, or caraway. There are many recipes available to make your own or you can find it for sales in specialty stores or online.

Chef Hamilton boiled a variety of zucchini and tossed them with harissa, garlic, coriander, caraway, olive oil, lemon juice, green and black olives, and fete cheese. It was so simple, and with such raves from the judges I had to recreate my own little Iron Chef America moment.

I grilled the zucchini rather than boil it and added cumin to substitute for being out of caraway. Though I am sure I have some, I dug and dug through my spices and never found it. Next time I am looking for a different spice I will no doubt encounter two or three containers of caraway.

Zucchini Like an Iron Chef
Keeping with the style of Iron Chef, don’t bother measuring. Eyeball everything like a pro!

A variety of zucchini (4-10) depending on how many people you are feeding)
Harissa
Garlic paste
Coriander seed
Cumin seed
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Fete cheese
Green olives
Black olives

Cut the zucchini into large pieces. Coat the zucchini with a bit of olive oil and place it on a hot grill. Watch it carefully to avoid over cooking and pay attention to the different rates that different varieties of zucchini cook. It should still be a bit firm when removed from the grill so that it can stand up to being tossed with the other ingredients.

Crush some coriander and cumin seeds to break them up, but don’t grind them to a powder. In a small bowl combine a good dollop of harissa, some garlic paste, splash of lemon juice, and the coriander and cumin. Mix well and set aside.

Cut the fete cheese into half-inch cubes and set aside. Remove the pits from the olives and cut them into large pieces and set aside.

Once the zucchini comes off the grill place it in a bowl large enough to mix everything together. Add the harissa, and stir to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more harissa if needed. Mix in the olives. Place the zucchini on a serving platter and sprinkle the fete cubes over the top. If you are making a large quantity, mix some of the fete in and save some to garnish the top of the dish. If all of the fete is mixed in, it turns red from the harissa and isn’t as pretty as the bright white fete.

It is a delicious way to enjoy zucchini that is so bountiful this time of year. The dish would make a great side for a buffet or to take to a pot luck because it doesn’t need to be piping hot when served. Best of all it is quick and easy to put together, but makes you look like an Iron Chef!