Ingredients
| 3 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 2 large onions, sliced | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 300g (about 3 medium or 2 large) zucchini | |
| 375g flour | |
| 3 teaspoons baking powder | |
| ½ teaspoon ground pepper | |
| 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley | |
| 125g tasty cheese, grated | |
| 250ml milk | |
| 2 eggs | |
| crème fraîche, lemon zest, to serve |
Alison’s influence is widespread – her Marvellous Muffins book must be a Kiwi classic. Mum’s scrapbooks feature all sorts of clippings of Alison’s recipes and, it seems, they shared a love for muffins. One of Mum’s favourite recipes was her dubiously named ‘Naomi’s famous secret muffins’, the secret being a packet of Maggi onion soup mix! In this recipe, I have taken inspiration from classic muffin flavours loved by them both, but baked in a tin in the style of focaccia.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt. |
| 2. | Cook for 45 minutes, stirring often and reducing the temperature as necessary, until very soft and golden brown. Set aside to cool. |
| 3. | Heat the oven to 200°C. Line and grease a 20cm x 30cm Swiss roll tin or rectangular baking tray. |
| 4. | Grate the zucchini, put in a colander, sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. |
| 5. | Leave for 10 minutes then squeeze out any liquid with your hands or by pressing down with the back of a spoon. |
| 6. | In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, pepper, parsley and cheese. |
| 7. | In another bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs, then pour in the oil from the onions along with about half the onion and mix in. |
| 8. | Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the milk mixture and add the zucchini. |
| 9. | Gently fold the mixture together, being very careful not to over mix – a few big turns until just combined is all you need. |
| 10. | Spoon into the prepared tin, scatter the remaining onion on top and press in a little with your fingers. |
| 11. | Bake for about 30 minutes until risen and golden. |
| 12. | Cut into pieces and serve with crème fraîche flavoured with lemon zest. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles