Armenian Style Zucchini

Armenian style zucchini is the home-cooking version of dolma, the great Middle Eastern tradition of stuffed vegetables. Whole zucchini get peeled, cut into 3-inch lengths, hollowed out, and packed with a fragrant filling of ground lamb, rice, onion, and stewed tomatoes.

The salted water soak before stuffing is more than seasoning. The salt draws out excess moisture from the zucchini cells, firming the flesh so it holds its shape during the hour-long simmer instead of collapsing into mush. Skip this step at your peril.

The braising liquid (just water, an inch deep) does double duty. It steams the zucchini through while providing the moisture the rice needs to cook tender inside the filling. Keep the level halfway up the zucchini sides; deeper and the tops oversoften, shallower and the rice goes dry before it cooks through.

Pro Tips

• Use medium zucchini, around 6 to 8 inches long. Oversize zucchini have tough, watery flesh and the seeds get woody; smaller zucchini have a higher flesh-to-cavity ratio and cook unevenly.
• Use a melon baller or apple corer for hollowing; it produces clean, even cavities better than a knife or spoon.
• Pack the filling loosely, not tightly. Rice expands as it cooks; too much filling causes the zucchini to split.
• Check the pot every 20 minutes during the simmer; replenish water if needed to keep it from boiling dry. Burned zucchini is unsalvageable.

Variations

• Replace lamb with ground beef or a 50/50 lamb-beef blend for a milder profile.
• Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon allspice to the filling for a more aromatic, traditional Armenian taste.
• Top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and chopped fresh dill before serving for cooling contrast against the hot stuffed peppers.