Courgette scarpaccia

I made this meal a month or so ago when the weather still felt summery. It's a mix between a tart and a pancake. It wasn't at all popular with the kids, but I really enjoyed it. I'd say it was more a light lunch than an evening meal.  The recipe came from Olive magazine, which has a good description of the recipe. There are sweet and savoury versions of this Tuscan pancake-tart hybrid – this is salata (savoury). Scarpaccia means old shoe, perhaps because the end result should be as thin as the sole of an old shoe. ...

Ingredients

courgettes 300g

plain flour 50g

baking powder a pinch

eggs 2

milk 75ml

parmesan or grana padano (or veggie alternative) grated to make 4 tbsp, plus lots of shavings for the top

olive oil

spring onions 2, sliced

Method

Finely slice the courgettes into a sieve, using a mandoline if you have one. Sprinkle on some salt and leave them for 30 minutes to disgorge some liquid. Rinse and then squeeze them dry.

Heat the oven to 200C. Tip the flour and baking powder into a bowl, make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Gradually stir the flour into the eggs, adding the milk when the mixture gets too thick. Beat the mixture with a balloon whisk to make sure it is smooth, then stir in the parmesan, most of the courgette and plenty of black pepper.

Liberally oil a 20cm square tin with a fixed base or a baking dish, put the spring onions in with another slug of oil and bake for 3 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and pour the batter into the tin. Toss the remaining courgette slices in a little oil and add them to the top in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned around the edges and set in the centre, scatter on the parmesan shavings, allow to cool, and cut into pieces to serve.

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