Seafood-Stuffed Zucchini Baskets

Name: Seafood-Stuffed Zucchini Baskets (Zukkīni no Surimi-Zumé)
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 3 slender, straight zucchini with bright, blemish-free skin; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2-3 large shrimp, about 3 ounces in their shells; 3 ounces bay scallops; 1 teaspoon shiro miso (light fermented bean paste); 2 teaspoons saké (Japanese rice wine); 2 teaspoons cornstarch; vegetable oil for deep-frying; ½ lemon, cut into wedges; soy sauce for dipping, optional

Zukkīni no Surimi-Zumé

Preparation info

Serves
3-4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

An Ocean of Flavor

By Elizabeth Andoh

Published 1988

About

American summer gardens are often overrun by a bountiful zucchini crop. Here is another, and quite different, way of using that bounty. Serve these seafood-filled “baskets” with grilled chicken or steaks, or by themselves as part of a buffet or picnic basket.

Ingredients

3 slender, straight zucchini with bright, blemish-free skin
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Asia
Japan
Starter
Side dish
Pescatarian
Summer

Method

Slice away the stem end of the zucchini, and use the piece to rub the cut edges together in a circular motion. This is the Japanese method of eliminating some of the vegetable’s bitterness. Rinse away the white foam that forms. Trim off the other end of each zucchini. Cut each zucchini into four or five 1½- to 2-inch lengths, for a total of 12-15 segments.
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