Mastering the Art of Grilling Zucchini

To somewhat play off of Julia Child, I believe I have "mastered the art" of grilling zucchini. Although the concept of grilling zucchini, or any other good grilling vegetable for that matter (squash, eggplant, peppers, etc…) seems perhaps simple, finding the perfect blend of seasonings takes a bit of practice. But, as the old adage goes, practice makes perfect, or for purposes of this blog, mastery.

As you all know, I live in New York City and although I sell the dilapidated fire escape outside my living room window as "outdoor space," I don't have functional outdoor space for grilling. In fact, I don't even have a grill. So, go ahead, judge me; how can I master grilling zucchini without a barbeque…but fear not, the grilling pan is a decent substitute.

Here is the technique – or rite to mastery if you prefer. I begin this culinary journey by taking zucchinis and cutting them in half lengthwise. I assemble my halved zucchinis on a plate and drizzle them with extra-virgin olive oil. I season the zucchinis with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and a heavy dose of paprika. As I season my zucchinis, my grill pan is heating so when I am ready to grill, so is my pan.

The grilling process is relatively quick. I grill the zucchinis for about 6 minutes a side. If you prefer your zucchinis well-grilled, maybe grill the zucchinis for about 8-10 minutes a side. I, however, take my zucchinis on the al dente side, so 6 minutes a side does the trick! After 12 minutes of good grilling, plate and serve the zucchinis.

So that is it. Even though it is quite simple, I struggled with finding the right seasonings for a while. In my early days of zucchini grilling, I limited my spices to just salt and pepper. Admittedly, I enjoyed the crunch of a coarse sea salt, but I found the combination to be a bit boring. I then began to add basil (fresh or dried) and found that it didn't do much for the flavor. Finally, I discovered paprika – a spice that rarely gets lifted out of my spice cabinet, but is so ambiguously versatile. The paprika adds a sweet smokiness to the zucchini, which at first might be a bit mysterious to any palate that is paprika-challenged. But, upon discovery, it quickly turns any novice zucchini griller into a master zucchini griller.

From one zucchini grill master to a soon-to-be-another, marry the grilled zucchini with a parmesan encrusted grilled chicken breast and a dry white and you have yourself quite a dinner.

Until next time…