Zucchini and Prosciutto Slice

There are few things more proudly Australian than the slice. I wasn’t sure what a slice was when my Aussie friend invited me over for a cuppa and a slice. The slice is meant to be easy as baking a cake for visitors, yet it says you’ve made so much more of an effort than just cooking up a batch of biscuits. While the concept of the slice appears almost unknown in the US and the UK, there are some recipes that are too fancy for a biscuit but still not a cake. The American chocolate brownie is one example and a slice can be sweet or savory. I love trying new recipes that involve zucchini and this one is a repeater! Zucchini is a summer squash which is available all year and is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A. Remember to look for zucchini that are heavy for their size and have shiny, unblemished rinds. This recipe is adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine.

Serves 4
Olive oil to grease pan
300g green zucchini, coarsely grated
100g Prosciutto, chopped
3 shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, lightly whisked
240g light sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
45g finely shredded Gruyere

Preheat oven to 180c. Brush a square 19cm non-stick cake pan with oil to lightly grease. Combine zucchini, Prosciutto and shallots in a bowl. Spoon over base of prepared pan. Season with pepper. Combine egg, sour cream and garlic in a jug and pour over zucchini mixture. Top with Gruyere cheese and bake in oven for 40 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and set aside in pan for 5 minutes to set. Cut into squares to serve.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: To make it easier to remove from the pan, line the pan with parchment paper and then add ingredients. After grating the zucchini, squeeze out any excess moisture otherwise the slice will seep liquid after being cooked. Prosciutto is one of my favorite cured meats and this goes lovely with the zucchini and cheese. Serve with a salad or enjoy on it’s own.