Caramelised Onion, Feta and Herb Zucchini Slice
A café-style slice with salted and squeezed zucchini, jammy onions and bacon, feta and fresh herbs, crowned with zucchini ribbons and parmesan.
Method
Coarsely grate about 85% of the zucchini into a colander, toss it with the salt and leave it for . Once the salt has drawn out the water, wrap the zucchini in a clean tea towel and squeeze hard to get out as much liquid as you can. Shave the remaining zucchini into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler and set aside.
Add in this stepZucchini (courgette) 221 gSalt (for the zucchini) ½ tsp
Put the bacon, cut into 1 cm strips, in a 24 cm frying pan over medium-low heat and cook until the fat runs and the edges crisp, then add the butter and thinly sliced onion. Stirring now and then, cook for in all, until the onion is deep golden and jammy. Tip onto a plate to cool. If it starts catching, add 1 tablespoon of water and scrape the pan.
Add in this stepBacon 80 gButter 10 gOnion 120 g
medium-low heatPreheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Brush a 20×15 cm baking tin with a little of the olive oil and line it with baking paper.
Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 2 ml
ovenIn a large bowl, whisk the eggs well. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add pepper and the rest of the olive oil, and whisk until smooth. No extra salt is needed: the feta and bacon bring plenty.
Add in this stepEggs 3Plain flour 65 gBaking powder 1 tspBlack pepper to tasteExtra virgin olive oil 18 ml
Add the squeezed zucchini, the cooled onion and bacon, cheddar, crumbled feta and the finely chopped dill and parsley, and fold everything together with a spatula.
Add in this stepCheddar, grated 50 gFeta 40 gDill 4 gFlat-leaf parsley 5 g
Pour into the tin and level it. Fold the zucchini ribbons into loose waves and tuck them into the top, then grate over the parmesan. Bake in the oven for , until the top is deep golden and a skewer through the centre comes out clean.
Add in this stepZucchini (courgette) 39 gParmesan 20 g
ovenCool for until firm, then lift out and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Warm, it's soft and tender; fully cooled, it slices more neatly.
Cook's tip
Salting and squeezing the zucchini is what makes this version special: the slice stays moist but never soggy. Don't rush the onions on high heat; slow cooking on medium-low makes them sweet rather than bitter.
Cooking it at camp
Cook the onion and bacon at home, or bake the whole slice ahead, cut it and pack it in the cooler. At camp, reheat squares in a lidded pan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side to crisp the base again.