Zucchinis stuffed with verbena, basil and wormwood

Discover this Mediterranean and vegetarian recipe from the three childhood friends behind the Parisian restaurant HuThoPi (Hugo, Thomas and Pierre).

This recipe by Hugo Lafont, Thomas Cuny and Pierre Le Lard, chefs at HuThoPi restaurant in Paris, is from the 2024 edition ofBook 109: The new blood of French gastronomy. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it as easy as possible.

Serves 6
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 30 min

Ingredients for zucchini stuffed with verbena, basil and wormwood

For the stuffed zucchinis

6 small zucchinis
250 g ricotta cheese
250 g Greek yoghurt
1 bunch verbena
2 bunches basil
2 small shallots
1 lime
4 cl absinthe (or green Chartreuse or Ricard )

For the zucchini cream

2 green zucchinis
1 bunch basil
20 cl full-fat liquid cream
100 g pumpkin seeds

For the green vegetable tuile

130 g whipping cream
42.5 g flour
17.5 Maïzena
1 g salt
1 tablespoon zucchini cream (color)
salt and pepper

Steps for zucchini stuffed with verbena, basil and wormwood

Cut the zucchini into 4 cm sections, scoop out the flesh with a small spoon (keeping a full part on one side), reserving the flesh for the cream. Cook in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful, they must remain crunchy! Set aside in a cool place.
To make the zucchini cream: cook the zucchini in boiling salted water for 5 min. Plunge them into a vat of cold water to fix their color. Blend with the zucchini flesh, basil and cream, adding salt and pepper.
Lightly roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven at 180°C (gas mark 6) for 7 minutes. Set aside for decoration.
Make the filling: drain the ricotta and Greek yogurt on a clean cloth to extract as much juice as possible (don't hesitate to squeeze a little). While the cheese is draining, finely chop the basil and verbena (keep a few leaves for decoration), then chop the shallots. Mix everything together, add the lime zest and absinthe, and a little salt and pepper. You can also add lemon juice for extra acidity.
To make the green tuile: mix the cream, flour, cornflour and salt in a bowl until smooth. Add a spoonful of zucchini cream and mix again. Spread the mixture on a silicone baking mat (preferably Silpat), then place in the oven and bake for approx. 15 min at 150°C.
Finishing touches: stuff the zucchini sections with the stuffing. Arrange them in a circle on the plate, adding the cold zucchini cream in the center. Decorate with basil and verbena leaves, roasted pumpkin seeds and pieces of green tile.

Further information

HuThoPi, 53 rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris 12
12/20 in the Livre des 109
Read Gault&Millau's review of HuThoPi

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