This is great as a side dish for fish or chicken, or as part of a mixed antipasti. It’s good either warm or at room temperature and improves in flavour when left to marinate, so it’s ideal for Shabbat lunch. If you are in a rush you can also cook the courgettes directly with the onions and herbs instead of cooking the two separately as described in the recipe. This will give the courgettes a fuller flavour. And if you have any left over, then use the courgettes as pasta sauce, adding a little double cream and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, it works perfectly.
Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus time to marinate. Serves 4-6
Ingredients
● 1 kg courgettes
● 5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
● 1 crushed clove of garlic
● 1 finely sliced onion
● A small bunch of rosemary
● 5-6 leaves of fresh sage
● 1 bay leaf
● 4-5 tablespoons of red wine/cider vinegar
● A splash of white wine
● Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
● Wash the courgettes, cut them in half, and then cut each piece again, this time horizontally, into long thick sticks of about 1 cm (¼ in) width and 5 cm (2 in) high.
● Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
● Add the courgettes with some salt and pepper, stir thoroughly and cover with a lid.
● Leave it to cook on a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the courgettes soften.
● Now remove the lid, increase the flame and leave the courgettes to cook until they turn golden.
● Turn off the flame and put the courgettes, drained of their oil, into a porcelain or ceramic dish, or failing that any other container.
● In the frying pan with the leftover oil you used to cook the courgettes, add the onion and, if needed, add more oil.
● Add a few tablespoons of water to help soften the onion and leave to cook for a few minutes until the water evaporates.
● Once the water has evaporated add the garlic, the sage, the rosemary, the vinegar, a splash of wine and a little more salt and pepper.
● Leave to cook, covered and on a low flame, for about 10-15 minutes.
● Tip: If the mixture dries up, add a few tablespoons of warm water.
● Remove the bay leaf and pour the mixture on top of the courgettes you cooked earlier. l Stir gently and serve.
For a full bodied taste, leave to cool down completely and then cover the container and place in the fridge for 1 day to marinate. Stir well before serving and serve warm or at room temperature.
