Thomas Keller's Easy Zucchini Method For A Crispy Outside And Creamy Inside

It's unfortunate that some people misunderstand zucchini, because the courgette contempt is more about what you do with it than the vegetable itself. Zucchini holds a lot of water, so if you're used to it turning out soggy and bland, famed chef Thomas Keller's technique, shared on TikTok via MasterClass, will change that. It starts with a bit of nifty prep and utilizes both direct and indirect heat.

Instead of slicing his zucchini into rounds or half-moon cuts, Keller halves them lengthwise and scores the cut sides in a cross-hatch pattern. He then salts them liberally to draw out moisture (ensuring better browning), letting the halves sit for up to 15 minutes before patting with paper towels. Scoring isn't just for bread; it increases surface area, intensifying flavor. And from a textural standpoint, slicing shallow slits lets heat penetrate deeper so that the zucchini's surface crisps while the inside softens. To best achieve this, Keller first cooks his zucchini cut-side down in an oven-safe pan with very hot oil.

Immediately, the intense heat will start browning the zucchini and give it that coveted crispy edge, but this isn't just a frying maneuver. Keller also preheats the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit as the zucchini sizzles away, then places the entire stainless steel pan inside to cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. In the oven, the zucchini will continue to crisp on the outside while achieving a soft interior he describes as "creamy". This is nothing like plain old crispy air-fried zucchini; it's a precise handling of a woefully underrated vegetable.

The order of the steps is, of course, not arbitrary. The flash fry in hot oil to start gives the zucchini a head start on browning before it can release too much moisture, since the vegetable has a tendency to steam itself from the inside out. Then, once in the oven, the indirect radiant or convection heat softens the interior more thoroughly, evaporating moisture and shifting the texture from watery to tender. This is also when any added aromatics like garlic or herbs come in handy, since they will scent your squash as everything roasts together.

Pay attention to the details here, as choosing the right zucchini size can be important. Larger zucchinis hold more water than smaller ones, but if they're too small, they risk overcooking in the oven. What is most brilliant about Thomas Keller's approach to zucchini is that so many cooks try to fight against the vegetable's natural softness, but the "Ratatouille" culinary consultant embraces it, rendering it even tenderer and creamier while ensuring it has enough structure to still retain a pleasant bite.

Once you've aced this cooking method, you can garnish your roasted zucchini to suit your palate. At Bouchon, his bistro with locations in Yountville, California, and Las Vegas, Keller serves the summer squash "Provencal" style with sauce vierge — a lively mix of diced tomato concasse, oil, vinegar, shallots, and parsley — to accompany dover sole meunière.