Marrow me! Alice Zaslavsky’s zucchini schnitzels (or, how to use up a 1kg marrow) – recipe | Australian food and drink

While tomatoes may be proving resolutely underwhelming for most Australian gardeners this summer, zucchinis are going – and growing – gangbusters!

And not just in quantity. Even left unattended or hidden under a louche leaf, homegrown zucchini can swell from its peak flavour-packed form. Within days, it can grow from about the size of a baby’s forearm to the dimensions of a whole baby. By this point, there’s a change in the name and the game: marrow.

Even if you’re not a gardener but have a generous one in your midst, or have stumbled upon some girthier zucchini specimens at the farmers’ market, you’re going to want to know what to do with them. Luckily, thanks to its thicker skin, you can store marrow in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks, as you would with a butternut pumpkin, while you figure out what to do with it.

Zucchini has a delicate cell structure, so when cooking, your challenge is to stop it from collapsing too quickly – which is why I’m a diehard of the dry char technique. But marrow is mightier, with stronger fibres because of that extra time in the patch.

Like zucchini, marrow can be turned into slice, loaf, fritter and pickle form. Just watch out for woodier seeds or tough skin – again as with a butternut pumpkin.

But you can also take advantage of its natural robustness by using it as a vehicle for crunch and fat, and crumb it as you would a schnitzel.

Marrow me schnitties – recipe

Because marrow – and zucchini – can be eaten raw, you don’t need to over worry about the flesh “cooking through” as you would chicken or veal, so you can focus on getting the most glistening golden crust instead. Forget “marry me” chicken, and say g’day to “marrow me” schnitties.

I’m using panko breadcrumbs here for their wider surface area and uniquely dry texture, which gives the glassiest crunch. But you can use whatever stale bread you’ve got in the pantry, blitzed in the food processor to a fine crumb. You could even bake the blitzed mix in a low oven at 130C fan-forced for 8–10 minutes to achieve that panko parchedness.

I like to double-crumb the schnitzels, dipping the slices into dry (flour), wet (egg), breadcrumbs, then again into the flour, egg, breadcrumbs. A double crumb is twice as nice, though you’re welcome to stick to a single crumb. For less mess, try doing this single-handed, so your other hand is free to scroll the recipe on your device, or simply to scratch an itch. Once crumbed, lie them out on a lined tray, ready for frying. You could even crumb these hours ahead and leave in the fridge for dinnertime.

You’ll notice I’ve left the skin on the marrow, which works when the vegetable is roughly the girth of a tennis ball. But if it’s much bigger, give it a speed date with the speed peeler before crumbing.

That speed peeler also comes in handy for making the quickest side salad, either using the finer end of your marrow, or some more conventionally sized zucchini. Curing the slices in the lemon juice dressing slightly softens them, and is a tangy contrast to the schnitties. If you have zucchini for days, grate some into the yoghurt sauce for a tzatziki-like twist.

No marrow? No matter! Use zucchini. If you’re mint-less, use any soft herb in the yoghurt sauce, from dill to parsley to finely chopped chives.

To make this recipe fully plant-based, use vegan egg replacer during the crumbing; and switch the yoghurt for a low-sugar, plant-based one.

Leftovers reheat surprisingly well. Whack into a cold oven and crank the temperature to 140C fan. Once the oven is at temperature, the panko will be crispy again and the schnitty warm and wonderful all the way through.

1-1.2kg marrow, or 4 medium zucchinis
150g plain flour (1 cup)
1 tsp paprika, sweet or smoky
1 tsp fine salt
½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
4 eggs
70g panko breadcrumbs (2 cups)
Oil for frying, about 1 litre (I like rice bran or grapeseed)
Salt flakes, for sprinkling

For the minty yoghurt sauce
280g natural yoghurt (1 cup)
A good handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (2 tbsp)
Zest of 1 lemon (reserve the lemon for the salad)
1 small clove garlic, finely grated
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of paprika (optional but excellent)

For the zucchini avocado salad
Juice of 1 lemon (from above)
Pinch of sugar
4 medium zucchinis
2 ripe avocados, diced
¼ bunch fresh mint, leaves picked

Slice the marrow into 1cm-thick rounds. If the skin is too tough to easily slice through, peel the marrow first. If using zucchini, slice in half lengthways, then lengthways again. Toss about in a little salt and set aside to slightly cure.

Set up your crumbing station. Take three bowls. In the first bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. In the second bowl, beat the eggs well to a uniform colour. In the third bowl, add the panko crumbs. Line a baking tray with baking paper or kitchen cloth.

To crumb, coat a slice of marrow (or zucchini) in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg and allow the excess to drip off, then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Dip again in the flour, egg and panko for a double-crumb, then place on the tray. Repeat with the remaining slices. Once all done, refrigerate to set while you make the sauce and salad.

To make the minty yoghurt sauce, in a small bowl, combine the yoghurt, mint, lemon zest and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with a little paprika.

For the salad, in a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sugar, along with salt and pepper to taste. Using a speed peeler, peel the zucchini into thin ribbons directly into the bowl. Add the avocado and gently toss to coat, then set aside.

To cook the marrow schnitzels, place a cooling rack over an oven tray. In a high-side heavy based pan, heat a centimetre of oil over medium heat to 180C. You’ll know the oil is ready when a panko crumb turns golden in five to 10 seconds. In batches, fry the schnitzels to a deep golden brown on both sides, about three minutes per side. You want the marrow to cook through and soften a little, but it doesn’t need to be fully “cooked” like chicken. Transfer to a cooling rack to drain, and sprinkle with salt flakes like glitter.

Continue with the rest of the schnitzels until done, topping up the oil as needed so it generously coats the base of the pan, and bringing back up to temperature.

When ready to serve, stir the mint through the salad and gently toss so as not to disturb the avocado. Serve the schnitzels warm alongside the zucchini avocado salad and minty yoghurt sauce.