Photo by PETER GLATZ
Traditional Middle Eastern dish kousa mahshi. The name translates into “stuffed zucchini.”
For centuries, cooks worldwide have ingeniously stuffed vegetables, a testament to how readily available ingredients can be transformed into delicious and nourishing combinations of textures and flavors. The variety of fillings is vast, ranging from savory meats and aromatic rice to creamy cheeses and fresh herbs. Mediterranean cuisine offers dolmades, grape leaves filled with rice, herbs and aromatics. In Mexico, chiles relleno features poblano peppers brimming with cheese. Croatian cooks prepare punjene paprike, bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground meat and grains. From the south of France comes tomates farcis, a dish featuring tomatoes filled with aromatics, herbs and breadcrumbs. Cajun cooks in southwest Louisiana hollow out eggplants into pirogues and stuff them with crab, shrimp or crawfish. The creative possibilities are truly endless.
At Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery the kitchen garden is overflowing with zucchini, inspiring me to create my version of kousa mahshi. This traditional Middle Eastern dish, whose name translates to “stuffed zucchini,” features zucchini filled with a rice mixture that can include meat or vegetables. It is usually served in a tomato-based sauce, a yogurt sauce, or a combination of both.
For kousa mahshi, use medium-sized zucchini, ideally 6 to 8 inches long and one to 1 ½ inches in diameter. Core the zucchini to create a hollow tube with ⅛ to ¼-inch sidewalls. This can be done with an apple corer and melon baller, or for about $10, you can purchase a cordless electric zucchini corer with an auger-like attachment (available on Amazon).
Kousa Mahshi – Lebanese stuffed zucchini
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
6 medium zucchini – 6-8 inches long and
1-1 ½ inches in diameter
½ cup long-grain white rice
½ pound ground lamb or beef
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the tomato sauce:
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
To serve:
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Preparation:
To prepare the zucchini, first cut off the stem end. For optimal results and to prevent cracking, core them at room temperature. Carefully hollow out the zucchini using an apple corer, the kind that removes only the core without slicing. Core as deeply as possible, maintaining a sidewall thickness no more than ¼ inch. Next, use the small end of a melon baller or a long-handled bar spoon to remove more of the core, ensuring the bottom of the hollow is at least ½-inch thick.
After coring, rinse the zucchini to remove any remaining seeds and debris from the cavities.
Then, drain them on a dish towel.
Prepare the filling by washing the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Then, soak the rice in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and combine it in a mixing bowl with the lamb or beef, one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix thoroughly until the rice is evenly distributed.
In a skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the meat and rice mixture, spreading it into a thin layer. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring constantly and breaking up the meat with a spatula, until it’s almost done but still slightly pink.
Transfer the meat mixture to a strainer set over a mixing bowl. Use a fork to break it into small pieces. Reserve the fatty juices.
Make the sauce: In a skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil with the reserved fatty juices over medium-low heat until sizzling. Stir in the pepper and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
In a food processor, combine the skillet mixture with the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth, then pour it back into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Carefully spoon small amounts of stuffing into the hollowed zucchini, holding it stem-side up.
Gently tap the zucchini’s bottom on the counter to settle the stuffing, taking care not to compact it. Avoid overfilling; the rice will swell, so leave some space at the top to prevent bursting during cooking.
Take the skillet with the sauce off the heat. Arrange the stuffed zucchini on their sides in a single layer in the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Gently turn the zucchini over. Cover and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the rice and meat are fully cooked and the zucchini are tender but not mushy.
To serve, spoon some sauce onto a plate and top with the stuffed zucchini. The zucchini can be arranged horizontally or cut into 2 to 3-inch segments and stood upright. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a garnish of parsley and mint leaves. Serve a dollop of yogurt on the side or pass the yogurt sauce separately.
After a 40-year career as a dentist, Peter Glatz traded his lab coat for a chef’s coat and his scalpel for a chef’s knife. He is spending his summer in Champaign cooking at Caprae Restaurant, Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery’s farm-to-table restaurant. Several of the recipes from his Illinois Times food column are featured on Caprae’s menu.