Braised courgettes with thyme

Calabacines con Tomillo

Type of Dish:

Hot Tapas

Approx. Preparation Time:

About 30 minutes

Difficulty:

Student's Play

Serves:

4 people

Another great and adaptable Spanish vegetable is the seemingly humble courgette. They grow in vast quantities in Murcia and in other regions such as Andalucia.
I often look at a courgette in a Spanish market and wonder what can be done with it. I've been handed many free in the past by generous neighbours, but I have had to take advice from them when it comes to how best to serve them up.

Here is a tapas recipe actually handed to me by a Scottish lady living in Spain. Margaret swears by its simplicity and its taste.
So here goes.

List of Ingredients:

4 large courgettes, cut into slices of about 2.5 cms

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped

Olive oil

40 grams of butter

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Bring a pan of water to the boil with two generous pinches of salt. Put in the courgettes and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they are just tender but still have a crunch about them. Then drain.
Place a large, heavy based, non stick frying pan on a high heat with seven dashes of olive oil and two pinches of pepper. When it is smoking hot, drop in the courgettes and stir fry for half a minute.

Add the butter and the thyme and cook until the butter starts to sizzle and the water has evaporated. Stir regularly, but avoid breaking up the courgettes.
Serve immediately.

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