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Courgette with Lemon & Black Pepper
Courgette steamed and finished with lemon and coarse black pepper — the simplest Italian side.
Ingredients
- — All in —
- 340 g courgette, cut into 1 cm slices
- 1½ garlic cloves, sliced
- ¼ tsp black pepper, spooned level
- 1 tbsp + ¼ tsp neutral oil, spooned in
- 3 tsp lemon juice, poured from a measuring jug
- 2 tbsp water, poured from a measuring jug
- 2.2 g salt (about ¼ tsp), spooned level
- — Finish up —
- ½ tsp sesame oil, spooned
Method
- Everything except sesame oil goes into the 1.6 L container: courgette, garlic, black pepper, neutral oil, lemon juice and salt. Pour the water in at the side. Cooking lid on loose.
- Set the heat once: medium — about 6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob (see Heat below) — and set a timer for 15 minutes. On a plug-in portable hob, level 2 runs gentler on this pot — set the timer for 20 minutes there instead. Then leave it: one setting, one timer; steam from the lid gap is the sign it is working.
- When the timer goes off, lift the lid (it is hot) and check: the courgette is tender but not collapsing. Not there yet? Lid back on loose; set a timer for 2 more minutes and check again. Looks dry before tender? Add 30 ml hot water first.
- Off the heat: sesame oil over the top. Serve from the container.
- To reheat from the fridge: storage lid off, cooking lid on loose, add 30 ml water if the sauce has set firm, and use a gentle-to-medium heat — about 4–6 of 9 on a fitted induction hob, level 2 on a portable hob. Set a timer for 4 minutes; stir, then give it 2 minutes more until it is bubbling all over and piping hot right through. From frozen: add 50 ml water around the block, cooking lid on loose, use the same gentle heat for 7 minutes; loosen and stir, then give it 4 minutes more until bubbling all over and piping hot right through.
Heat
| Stage | Heat into the pan | Induction hob (settings 1–9) | Portable induction hob | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook — one setting, start to finish | about 195–450 W (medium) | about 6 of 9 | level 2 (the 285 W setting) | steady steam from the lid gap; a little liquid always in the base |
| Reheat from the fridge | medium-low | about 4–5 of 9 | level 1–2 | steaming and hot right through |
Hob settings are not standard — the same number means different heat on different hobs. The power figures show how hard the pan is actually being heated. The settings shown are for a typical fitted induction hob with settings 1–9, and for a plug-in portable induction hob with power settings. Go by what you see in the pan, then remember the setting that gave it on your own hob.
Cook’s checks
- the courgette is tender but not collapsing; a little liquid still in the base.
- Dry before tender: add 30 ml hot water, lid back on. Still firm: 2 more minutes, lid on.
- Cook with the cooking lid loose or vented; never heat with a friction-fit storage lid sealed. Container and lid get very hot — cloth or oven gloves.
- Test Kitchen recipes are created by our recipe creation team and are awaiting our kitchen team to capture the recipe's visual representation.
Nutrition
| Serving | Calories | Protein | Fat | Saturates | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Fibre | Salt / sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 110 kcal | 2 g | 9 g | 0.7 g | 5 g | 3.6 g | 1.0 g | 0.4 g sodium (1.1 g salt) |
Nutrition information is provided for general reference only. Values are estimates based on typical ingredient data and will vary with brands, cuts, portion sizes and preparation. They are not intended as precise nutritional, dietary or medical guidance.