Kolokithakia gemista

I met kolokithakia gemista — Greek stuffed zucchini — at a little taverna on Crete: sunset, wine, grilled-herb air, and then these beautiful zucchini arrived, filled with beef, rice and herbs and draped in lemony avgolemono sauce. One bite and I understood why Greeks guard their grandmothers’ versions so fiercely.

The owner shared her recipe with me (after making me promise to come back — a promise I intend to keep). The soul of the dish is the herb trio — dill, spearmint and parsley — brightened with lemon, and that silky egg-lemon sauce that ties everything together.

It takes a little assembly, but nothing difficult, and the reward is a complete meal that is somehow both comforting and fresh. Here it is, as it was given to me.

Kolokithakia Gemista Recipe

Prep time: 30 minutes · Cook time: 40 minutes · Total: 1 hour 10 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~464 per serving

Ingredients

• 8 zucchini
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¾ cup (5.3 oz) risotto rice
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 cups water, divided
• 14 oz ground beef
• Parsley, spearmint, dill, lemon zest and lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For the avgolemono sauce:
• 5½ tablespoons (2.8 oz) butter
• ⅔ cup (2.8 oz) all-purpose flour
• 3 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the ends off the zucchini and hollow them out with a corer or small spoon, reserving the flesh for another use.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan and sauté the onion, garlic and carrot with salt and pepper for 8 to 10 minutes, until caramelized.
3. Add the rice and sauté briefly, then add the ground beef and cook 3 to 4 minutes more.
4. Deglaze with the wine, add half the water, and boil over medium heat until the liquid evaporates.
5. Off the heat, stir in the chopped herbs, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.
6. Fill each zucchini with the mixture and stand them in a pot. Add the remaining water, 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.
7. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.
8. For the sauce: melt the butter, whisk in the flour until toasted, then gradually whisk in the water. Add the bouillon cube and whisk until thickened.
9. Off the heat, whisk in the lemon zest and juice, nutmeg, egg yolks, salt and pepper.
10. Serve the zucchini with the sauce spooned generously on top.

Recipe Notes

• Long-grain rice works if you adjust the liquid and timing to the package directions.
• Mushrooms or bell peppers can join the filling; lentils make a fine vegetarian version.
• Do not throw away the zucchini flesh — sauté it with eggs the next morning.
• Add the yolks off the heat so the sauce stays silky and never scrambles.