After going out to dinner the night before cooking this, I was in the mood to go all out with some funky ideas. The appetizer did not work and is still in construction….but the Rabbit Confit and this side dish both came out really well.
The original idea for this side was generated out of necessity, as our Zucchini harvest is getting out of control, so we urgently needed to cook one. We then figured that carrots would work well with our protein (in a strange “What’s up Doc?” sort of way), and we settled upon making a Soufflé with carrots to stuff into our zucchini rather than a ramekin.
Time: 70 Minutes
Ingredients: (makes 4-5 Zucchini Cups)
- 4 oz of Carrots
- 1-2 Large Zucchinis
- Truffled Honey (regular honey will do though)
- Milk
- Ground White Pepper
- 2 Eggs
Method:
- Boil your carrots until soft.
- As your carrots boil, cut your zucchini into cross sections about 4″ thick, and arrange upright in a steaming basket. Steam until soft.
- As your zucchini steams, line a baking sheet with some foil, and give it a quick oil spray.
- When your zucchini is done, use a spoon to scoop out the innards (but leave enough on the bottom so that there is a base layer of zucchini), Then, arrange your hollowed out zucchini rounds on your baking sheet.
- When your carrots have softened, drain the water, and put your carrots in a blender/food processor/Ninja. Add in a little milk and honey (truffled honey if you have it), grind in some white pepper, and puree. You may need to add a little more milk as you go to get a smooth consistency. Then, set aside to cool a little.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Crack two eggs, and separate the whites from the yolks. Pour the yolks into your carrot mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the whites into the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Use the whisk attachment to whip your egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Slowly pour your carrot mixture into your eggs, and fold it in to fully incorporate. Don’t stir it in, or you risk breaking the air bubbles you worked hard to create while whipping the egg whites.
- Scoop your raw soufflé mix into your hollowed out zucchinis.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. By the end, your soufflé should have sort of “popped out” of your zucchini and begun to caramelize on top.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
