Italian Sautéed Zucchini with Mint & Lemon

First, slice the courgettes (zucchini) diagonally across (the oblique cut), roughly about 5mm width.

[Optional pre-salting the zucchini - Place the courgette slices in a colander set over a bowl and liberally sprinkle salt over them. Quickly mix the salt into the courgettes with your hands and leave for 5-10 minutes so that the salt can draw out the bitter juices from the courgette. Once the courgette slices look wet and glistening, rinse them under the tap in the colander to wash away all the salt and the bitter juices. Then dry in a clean tea towel or kitchen towel.]

In the meantime, slice the fresh mint thinly. The best way to do this is to get the leaves piled on top of each other then slice once along the vein of the leaves, and then cut across the leaves in thin slices. (This is called “chiffonading” the mint)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the whole garlic clove and move around in the pan to brown on all sides and flavour the oil. Once browned, remove from the pan and discard (or use to flavour in something else).

Add the courgette slices in one single layer. Do not overlap the slices. You may need to sauté the courgette slices in batches. Sauté the courgette slices until the underside is golden brown (about 2-4 minutes), then, using a pair of kitchen tongs, turn each slice over to cook on the other side. Cook for another 2-4 minutes until golden brown on both sides.

Once cooked, add the chopped mint and a squeeze of lemon juice and stir over the heat for 30 seconds until the mint has wilted and the lemon juice is mixed into the courgette slices. (If cooking in batches, add the pre-cooked slices back into the pan at this point and stir all together over the heat). Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Once cooked through, pour the contents of the pan into a serving dish and serve immediately.