So this week is courgette week....

When @progressivechef made his announcement about the theme for week 4, the first thing that came to my mind was ‘oh darn it’! Yet another vegetable, challenging to locate in my small Chinese city in the Hunan Province, especially now that courgettes are no longer in season- it was hard enough finding them when they were!

But I think now that I’ve managed to get hold of them (at a hidden backstreet market that I was introduced to this week- so thanks for that @progressivechef :-) I never would have found it if it wasn’t for this week’s theme!), I will not regret experimenting with this vegetable in dishes I often have sweet- ice cream and soufflé.

Believe it or not, the courgette is actually categorised as a berry rather than a vegetable, but it is the way we prepare and consume it that makes it appear a vegetable. So we normally prepare this berry as though it were a typical vegetable, but in this recipe I will be using it in a typically dessert-like dish- just to add to the confusion factor!

I’ve been hunting for ingredients today and not to my surprise, my mature cheddar was nowhere to be found in any supermarket (was I desperate enough to resort to the only option available- plastic hamburger cheese slices? NO! There has to be another plan B!).

Fortunately for me, I have a neighbour who is very much obsessed with Western style cooking, and she frequently has a fridge-full of dairy produce, so I was in luck when I stumbled across the parmesan in her fridge, result- thanks Marrisa!

This wonderfully sharp yet slightly sweet cheese, umami by nature, does not share a mutual flavour with cheddar, but it’s strong, tastebud-grabbing-ability, comparable to that of the mature cheddar, makes it a perfect candidate for bringing out a complex flavour in the ice cream.

Since courgette season has just passed, I managed to dig beneath the old, mouldy summer squashes at the hidden market and pull out some decent looking members of the family. Albeit, the long ones are rather pale, but the stout relatives of the long, skinny versions are a vibrant green with clear white-tan stripes running from top to bottom.
The flowers were dry and brown, but still managed to exude a slimy viscous liquid, so I definitely will not be using these in my recipe! The breeds of courgette here differ slightly from those I’ve seen in England, hence the difference in aesthetics, but the taste is relatively the same.

Parmesan Ice Cream with Crispy Courgette Bits

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Just to let you know, I have no ice cream maker in China and had to go to work, so my housemate kindly filled in for me and mixed my ice cream every 30 minutes for 6 hours- thanks Sarah!
To make this laborious ice cream, heat 100ml double cream with 100g grated parmesan,salt and pepper.
Just before boiling point, remove from the heat. To this, fold in 100ml whipped cream and 1 whisked egg white and place in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours, stirring every 30 minutes-1 hour to prevent the formation of large ice crystals.
For the crispy courgettes, make a smooth batter by whisking together an egg, some milk and plain flour. Evenly coat individual courgette strands and deep fry until golden brown and crispy.

Courgette Souffle!

Before preceding to make a white, stiff roux, place 300g grated courgettes in a colander with some salt and leave aside to dehydrate. In a saucepan, heat 250ml milk with a medium chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Once almost boiling, remove from the heat and allow the flavours to infuse. In the meantime, add 45g butter and 45g flour to a pan and heat until a doughy, brown paste is achieved. Pour the infused milk into this thick paste through a fine sieve and whisk aggressively whilst on a low heat to ensure no lumps appear. Remove from the heat and add 100g grated parmesan (or hard cheese of your choice) and continue to whisk vigorously for a smooth, even paste.
In another pan, add the courgettes- these should first be rinsed through a tea towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible- and sweat in 1tbsp hot oil. Once softened, add to the roux.
Whisk 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the roux. In 6 greased ramekins, pour in the fluffy cheesy-eggy-courgette mixture and cook in a bain marie at 180C for 25 minutes.

Sweet Courgette Ribbons

Using a peeler, pick apart a long courgette for some ribbons and lightly pan fry in 1 tsp sugar until slightly caramelised.

All components are now ready to be plated. When it comes to the eating experience, the best part is making a slit in the middle of the soufflé and placing a quenelle of ice cream on top, allowing this solid to become a creamy puddle of liquid cheese, oozing out of the cracked soufflé top. The ribbons can be enjoyed between every mouthful of soufflé- scrummy!

PS- my boyfriend is away this week so had to make do with my own camera and skills (real downgrade!). But he'll be back for week 5 ;-)