FONDANTE or MELTING technique.

Fondant potatoes, or “pommes de terres fondantes”, is a method of preparing potatoes that involves cutting them into cylinders, browning the ends, and slowly simmering in butter and stock.

‘Courgettes fondantes’

Browning courgettes in a cast iron skillet adds depth and smoky flavour.

White wine brightens the courgettes and brings out its sweet character.

The cooking technique known as “Fondante”—as in “fondante potatoes “  cabbage,  onions, and more—is an impressive way to cook all year vegetables. Originating from the classic French potato dish “pommes de terre fondantes”  

To “melt” a vegetable, first, you sear it on high heat until it is deeply caramelized. Then, you add some liquid, wine, stock, butter or all three to the pan and the vegetable finishes cooking in a shallow simmer. While the searing step develops the flavour of the vegetable, the subsequent braising softens it, giving it a silky, “melting” texture.

courgettes in their unaltered state can be a bit bland, seeing as it is 90% plus water. Cooking it in cast iron over high heat brings out all its sweet and earthy goodness. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can use a basic stainless-steel pan instead.

Infusing courgettes fondantes with Flavour by adding dry white wine to deglaze the pan. Acidic, it complements the vegetable’s sweetness perfectly. you can use any dry white wine you’d enjoy drinking . If you can’t drink it don’t cook with it life is too short to drink or even cook with shitty wine! When the wine has reduced add stock little by little to allow the drunken courgettes to absorbe more liquid later finish with a little butter or olive oil to form a sort of emulsion sauce.

I like finishing this dish with bright and briny capers. Courgettes and capers are a marriage made in culinary heaven, the point here is to finish the dish with something salty and acidic to punctuate the sweet-savoury courgette. Sometimes I use some pitted kalamata olives instead.... Or both.

Serving Suggestions

As a bed pal with polenta or mashed potatoes.