Spanish Important Zucchini | The GREATEST Zucchini Recipe from Spain
This Spanish Important Zucchini, known as Calabacín a la Importancia, is considered to be the Greatest zucchini dish from Spain. Its got a ton of flavors, it´s easy to make and you can serve it as a tapas appetizer or even as a side dish.
The reason for the funny name, important zucchini, is because the zucchini is treated like a main ingredient. Truly showcasing what an incredible fruit the zucchini (courgette) really is.
To make the sauce for this recipe, I used white wine. If white wine is not your thing, you can substitute it for any type of broth you like with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The secret to this recipe is to cut the zucchini into rounds, then season with sea salt and let them rest for 30 minutes. This will extract the water out of the zucchini. That way when you cook it, it stays firm and won´t get mushy.
Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY FRY PAN
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
SAFFRON I USED
VEGETABLE BROTH
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Watch the Video Below on How to Make Spanish Important Zucchini
Spanish Important Zucchini (Calabacín a la Importancia)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
- 1 1/2 lbs zucchini 700 grams
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour 37 grams
- 2 cage-free organic eggs
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine 120 ml
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
- 1 cup vegetable broth 240 ml
- 2 bay leaves
- pinch sea salt
- dash black pepper
Instructions
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Cut the zucchini into diagonal slices that are 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick, then season the slices with sea salt on both sides, transfer them over a wire rack with paper towels underneath, all in a single layer
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After 30 minutes and most of the water has been extracted from the zucchini, add the slices over some paper towels and pat completely dry
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Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
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Meanwhile, coat each slice of zucchini, first in all pupose flour (seasoned with salt & pepper) and then into some egg wash (2 eggs whisked and seasoned with salt & pepper)
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Add the coated slices of zucchini into the hot pan, all in a single layer, cook in batches to not over-crowd the pan, fry for 2 minutes per side or until golden fried, then transfer over a wire rack
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Once all the zucchini has been fried, add the onion finely chopped and the garlic roughly chopped into the pan, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes add in 1/2 tbsp flour (4 grams), continue to mix, after 2 minutes add in the white wine, saffron and season with sea salt & black pepper, continue to mix until you form a thick sauce, about 2 minutes
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Once the sauce has thickened, add in the slices of zucchini back into the pan, stacked around each other in a circular design, then add in the broth and the bay leaves, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the broth has reduced in half, shaking the pan once in a while, then remove from the heat, sprinkle with fresh parsley, serve warm or at room temperature, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Get the Saffron Threads I used to make this Recipe
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María Teresa C Legler
05 . Nov . 2022Just saw this recipe and will try out as soon as able to get all of the ingredients. Can American Zucchini be substituted for Spanish Zucchini?
Thanks, Maria Teresa
Spain on a Fork
Spanish zucchini is the same as American 🙂 Thanks for the comment! Much love
05 . Nov . 2022Ramya
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i skip white wine as i dont use alcohol at home i love zucchini sooooooooooooooooo much i never had spanish important zucchini before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
04 . Nov . 2022Spain on a Fork
Sounds great Ramya! Much love 🙂
05 . Nov . 2022