Zucchini Pancakes with Double-Cream Brie Recipe

How to Make Savory Crepes When Courgettes are Abundant

Aug 8, 2009 Larry Ervin

When backyard gardens yield more zucchinis than the gardener knows what to do with, especially when the zukes get to be "gadzukes" oversize, here's a recipe option.

Zucchinis (a.k.a. courgettes) are one of the easiest squashes to grow. The blossoms are gorgeous (and good eating on their own, too) and the huge leaves grow so quickly, sometimes it’s hard to see when the squash is the perfect size for sautéing.

What to do when they get too big? Zucchini bread is one sweet solution. Here’s a savory recipe for something a little different. These crepes, topped with a ripe double-cream brie would make a delightful brunch, lunch, starter or even a light dinner.

Zucchini Pancakes with Double Cream Brie

You will need: a food processor or mixer

Ingredients:

2 cups grated zucchini (courgette)
2 eggs
3 Tbsp melted butter
¾ cup flour
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
½ tsp nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6½ ounces (200 g) ripe double-cream Brie cheese
¼ cup roasted red pepper, cut in thin julienne for garnish
a handful of few fresh basil leaves or snipped chives for garnish

Method:

Allow the Brie to come to room temperature.
Press the grated zucchini in a sieve to remove any excess liquid and transfer it to the bowl of a food processor or mixer.
Add the eggs, butter, flour, parmesan and nutmeg. Add a good grind of pepper and mix until smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Add generous spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture and cook until pancakes are golden, about 2 minutes on each side.
Keep pancakes warm and repeat the process to make the remaining pancakes.
To serve, spread a little of the Brie over each serving of pancakes. Garnish with roasted red pepper strips and a few leaves or snipped chives.

Yield: 4 servings

About Brie

While there are many imitators, true Brie originates in the French province surrounding the town of Brie – about an hours drive east of Paris.

The earliest evidence of Brie cheese was recorded by the Emperor Charlemagne who tasted the cheese around the year 774 BC. One legend from the French Revolution is that, facing the guillotine, Louis XVI’s dying wish was to have one final taste of Brie.

During the 1814 Congress of Vienna when Europe's leaders met to divide up the deposed Napoleon’s empire, the Frenchman Talleyrand, perhaps to lighten the tension, proposed a friendly competition to see which country had the world's best cheese. Up against English Stilton, Switzerland's Emmenthal, Holland's Edam and Strachino from the northeast corner of what is now Italy, Brie was acclaimed the cheese of kings and the king of cheeses. More about that here.

Today, Brie is one of the most popular of the 400+ cheeses from France. For a true Brie, unpasteurized cow’s milk produces a golden yellow paste that is quite smooth and creamy on the tongue with a combination of flavors including hazelnut, fruit and herbs. It takes approximately 6.6 gallons of milk to make one round of brie cheese!

The best way to serve Brie cheese is to allow it to come to room temperature. Unlike some cheeses, the rind is entirely edible.

A strong dairy lobby in the United States has successfully prohibited the import of raw milk cheese unless it has been aged for 60 days consequently true Brie is not available.

Can't get enough cheese. Go here for more great recipes.

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