Zucchini and wild garlic soufflé

Name: Zucchini and wild garlic soufflé
Ingredients: 1 large zucchini (600 g); 1 teaspoon salt; 50 g frozen wild garlic; 100 g lightly salted telemea (Romanian brined cheese); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 25 g sour cream; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 2 eggs; 14 g butter; 16 g breadcrumbs; 100 g Delaco cheese

Appetizers - Zucchini and wild garlic soufflé by Astrid B. - Recipia

Zucchini releases a lot of water, so this zucchini and wild garlic soufflé starts with grated zucchini that’s been well drained. With wild garlic, telemea and eggs, the mixture puffs up in the oven, while the cheese on top turns golden; as it cools, the soufflé settles a little. I didn’t need to remove the seeds from my zucchini; these days I check the center and remove them only if they’re large and hard. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 45 minutes. Rest: 40 minutes. Total: 105 minutes. Serves: 4. About 300 kcal and 16 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 large zucchini (600 g)
1 teaspoon salt
50 g frozen wild garlic
100 g lightly salted telemea (Romanian brined cheese)
1 tablespoon olive oil
25 g sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 eggs
14 g butter
16 g breadcrumbs
100 g Delaco cheese

Preparation

1. Peel the zucchini, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds if they’re large and hard. Coarsely grate it, put it in a sieve with 3/4 teaspoon salt and leave to drain for 15-20 minutes. 2. Drain the zucchini well and squeeze it in your fist. Thaw the wild garlic and chop it. 3. Put the zucchini in a bowl with the wild garlic, grated telemea, olive oil, sour cream and pepper. Mix until the telemea is evenly distributed. 4. Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the bowl. Beat the whites with 1/8 teaspoon salt until stiff, then gently fold them in with an upward motion. Taste the mixture and add the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt if needed. 5. Butter a baking dish and coat it with breadcrumbs. Pour in the mixture and level the top. 6. Grate the cheese over the top. 7. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30-35 minutes, until golden on top. Leave it in the oven for another 10 minutes with the door open. 8. Let the soufflé cool in the dish for 20 minutes, then remove it and cut into portions.

Notes

It goes well with a tomato and cucumber salad. For a gluten-free version, replace the breadcrumbs with 16 g gluten-free breadcrumbs; telemea, cheese and sour cream are dairy products, and the mixture contains eggs. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat only the slices you’re going to serve. Very large zucchini sometimes have a spongy center and hard seeds; remove them, but you can leave the seeds in smaller ones. Let frozen wild garlic thaw in a sieve, then drain it well before chopping; any water left behind can make the mixture soft. A wide dish makes a thinner layer that browns faster than one in a deep dish. Telemea can vary a lot in saltiness, so taste the mixture before adding all the measured salt. For lunch, start about an hour and 45 minutes ahead so it can cool in the dish.