Hello November and if you’re in NJ or a surrounding area- hello to some winter air. BBrrrr.....this gal‘s been hat-on, scarfed up since Saturday. I don’t know about you but I’m not a cold weather person. I’m the kind that once it hits 40 degrees, my Uggs are on, fleece socks at night and the heat in my car is enough to make my kids sweat on the way to school.
So when I can, I try to bring myself back to summer and those warm days. AAAaahhhh, think chilled Chardonnay, the smell of suntan lotion, flip-flopping down to grab the mail. It’s a beautiful thing- June, July and August.
And another thing that brings summer to mind- zucchini. Well, tomatoes and strawberries too but I didn’t fry those up this week. :)
Zucchini. Such a delicious vegetable. And most certainly a summer one. Unfortunately, I‘m new the gardening game and over planted this season. Which basically meant my 6 zucchini plants all went to war with each other for ground coverage and in the end, I got about 4 measly pieces. Womp womp....
But I’m digressing here. Back to some zucchini that reminded me of summer and got my mind off the frosted front lawn.
So I fried them. Individual slender sticks that crisp up so perfectly, you‘ll wish you did this more often when these vegetables were actually IN season (read- cheaper). I’ve had dishes like this before served with a tomato sauce for dipping, but this recipe called for just a squeeze of lemon. Game-changer! The lemon added a pop of flavor, cut the salt a bit and allowed the appetizer to feel more on the ‘light’ side.
Seriously, they were delicious. No lie, I made them twice in one week and definitely could have gone a 3rd round. Chilling the pieces before frying is pretty important, so I wouldn’t skip that step.
So with that said, I think I’ll categorize this as a dish that is summer-like but also just as enjoyable with some red wine and a fireplace roaring. Enjoy.....
Fried Zucchini Sticks
Serves: 2-4
Adapted from: NY Times Cooking
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, washed and ends trimmed
2 eggs
1 Cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 Cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying
1/4 Cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Parmigianno cheese, grated
1 lemon, quartered
Kosher salt
fresh black pepper
Cut each zucchini in half and then slice into 1/2in thick ‘sticks’.
Beat eggs in shallow bowl.
Setup an assembly line of flour in a shallow bowl, the eggs in their bowl, and a shallow bowl with the breadcrumbs.
Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
Coat a zucchini stick in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Shaking off excess at each dip. Place on baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining zucchini sticks.
Place in refrigerator and allow to chill and set for 1 hour or up to 3.
Fill a large deep skillet or dutch oven 1/2 way up with canola oil. Heat over medium heat until temperature is ready to fry. I know this my placing end of wood on spoon in oil, if it bubbles right away- the oil is ready!
Working in batches fry the sticks for about 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip and fry on the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove to wire rack and salt immediately. Repeat with other batches.
Place all fried sticks on a platter, sprinkle with parsley and grated cheese. Squeeze lemon over right before serving. Enjoy!