Marinated Zucchini with Garlic and Herbs (Concia di Zucchine)
- MakesMakes about 3 cups
- Cook Time1½ hours
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active
- 2
Marinated zucchini, or concia di zucchine (sometimes shortened to concia), is a classic dish in cucina ebraica romana, or Jewish-Roman cuisine. Concia translates as "tanning" (as in the tanning of leather) but in her book "Portico," Leah Koenig explains that the term stems from a word from the ancient Roman dialect that referred to hanging clothes out to sun-dry, much as the zucchini slices are laid out for frying, then marinating. The ingredients are simple: zucchini, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. We slice our zucchini slightly thicker than most recipes, but marinating still takes as little as 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate it for up to three days (if chilled, let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving). Serve concia as an appetizer or side dish, or tuck it into sandwiches. Eggplant also is delicious given this treatment; see the recipe below.
Don’t add the zucchini to the skillet until the oil is shimmering. If added when the oil is not yet hot, the slices will absorb too much fat and end up greasy.
Step 1
Line a large cutting board or baking sheet with paper towels. Lay the zucchini slices in a single layer on the paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Flip the slices and sprinkle the second sides with another ¼ teaspoon salt. Let stand for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a 9-inch pie plate or medium bowl, stir together the ¼ cup oil, the vinegar, garlic, mint, pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside. Line a large plate with paper towels.
Step 3
Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels. In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil until shimmering. Add half of the zucchini in a single layer. Cook until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip the slices and cook until lightly browned on the second sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and cook the remaining zucchini in the same way.
Step 4
Add the still-warm zucchini to the oil-vinegar mixture and toss to coat. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Step 5
Garlic and Herb Marinated Eggplant: Cut 3 small Italian eggplants (about 1½ pounds) crosswise into ½-inch rounds. Follow the recipe to salt the eggplant and make the marinade. When the eggplant has been salted for about 20 minutes, cook the slices as directed but in 3 batches to avoid crowding the skillet, adding another 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan before each subsequent batch. Marinate the eggplant as directed.