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Zucchini alla Scapece Napoletana

Summary

Yield
Servings
SourceLa Cucina, The Regional Cooking of Italy
Prep time6 hours
RegionItaly

Description

Zucchini alla SapeceThis is a tasty summertime dish for hot weather. The scapece part of the name derives from the Spanish escaveiche and ceviche (raw fish marinated in vinegar) but the Neapolitans use it to describe many things dressed with vinegar.

This takes a long time, but it's not a time-consuming dish. You need to allow time for the cut zucchini to dry in the sun, and afterward more time for the vinegar to settle in and mellow. Drying the zucchini helps it to cook up crunchy rather than mushy, so it stands up better to the vinegar.

Note that this recipe is not an agrodolce; there is no sugar. 

Ingredients

2eazucchini (Sliced, and air-dried: see notes)
1⁄2cOlive oil
1clvGarlic (crushed)
1bnFresh Mint (chopped)
1⁄2cWhite wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet.
  2. Fry the garlic and the dried zucchini slices in the oil, a few at a time until they are all cooked.
  3. Blot them dry on paper towels and layer them in a serving dish with chopped mint leaves in between. Discard the garlic.
  4. Sprinkle the wine vinegar over the top. Do not toss the zucchini.
  5. Let it sit an marinate for at least another two hour.
  6. Stir it up only when serving so there is a contrast in flavors.

Notes

Drying the zucchini helps it to cook up crunchy rather than mushy, so it stands up better to the vinegar. Just slice the zucchini and set the slices on a paper towel in a hot sunny place for a few hours, turning when the tops are somewhat dry. They don't have to be leathery and desiccated like sun-dried tomatoes, but you want them to give up as much of their surface moisture as possible.
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  • By John at 05/15/2021 - 15:09
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