Corsican Stuffed Courgettes-Zucchini with Mint

Corsican Stuffed Courgettes or Zucchini. Filled with mint and brocciu or ricotta cheese, it’s a delicious meal on its own or as half quantities as a starter.

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I came to France from Scotland and although it’s not far from each other, the culture difference was pretty mind-boggling.  I didn’t just marry a Frenchman; I married a Corsican.

The island of Corsica has been in and out of so many hands in history but although it now  belongs to France politically, it’s closer to Italy than France in its culture.  I could go on but basically the Corsicans and the Scots have plenty in common when it comes to their feelings of independence.

One of Corsica’s popular dishes is stuffed courgettes. They come alive with the taste of the Corsican speciality cheese, Brocciu (pronounced ‘broach‘ in Corsica), which is made from unpasturised goat’s or ewe’s milk. Either way, it’s fresh and fabulously creamy – a bit like Italian ricotta but it’s not. So if you don’t have Brocciu, (c’est normal) use a good ricotta cheese instead.

Adding Mint to Courgettes is Divine – and Very Corsican!

This is so simple and a favourite when we visit my husband’s family in their remote mountain village.  I have a few family recipes for this classic but each one is different so this one is my own adaptation – since the best ones I have tasted on the island use mint rather than parsley or basil.

How to Stuff Courgettes (Zucchini) Corsican Style with Mint & Ricotta

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1.  Drop the courgettes into a large pot of salted boiling water and leave them to soften for 5 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool while preparing the other ingredients. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Trim off the ends then halve each of them lengthwise.  Using a small spoon (I love to use a grapefruit spoon as it has more control), hollow out the flesh leaving a shell about 1cm thick.  Chop up the removed courgette pulp.

3.  Fry the chopped courgette pulp in some olive oil over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly or until the courgettes are no longer giving off any more liquid.  Add the garlic and mint and continue to stir over the heat for another couple of minutes.  Set aside to cool and season with salt and pepper.

4. Using a blender, blitz the bread into crumbs.  In a bowl, mix the cheeses, egg yolk, pine nuts, breadcrumbs and add the cooked courgette mixture.

5.  Dry the courgette shells with kitchen paper then stuff each one generously.  Place them in a single layer on an oiled baking dish.

6. Bake for about 40 minutes, until browned.

Serve warm on their own with a glass of Corsican wine.