Recipe update from April 23, 2010
With the warm weather here, I’m am eating outdoors and my mind wanders to Greece: eating outdoors at a taverna with family & friends. Ordering two of everything off the menu is how we roll. I always make sure that some fried zucchini chips are included in the parade of mezedes.
I’m a big fan of simple foods and I never tire of Kolokithakia Tiganita or Fried Zucchini (courgettes) Chips. I always make sure an order or two of these appear on our table when at a taverna. Slightly sweet zucchini are thinly sliced and then dredged in seasoned flour and then deep fried until just golden.
They are thinly sliced in three ways: long thin strips, thin coins or my fave…on a bias. I use a mandoline to thinly slice the zucchini on a bias.
If you’re adept at thinly slicing vegetables with a knife, you may take that route or invest in a mandoline to get perfectly even and thinly sliced vegetables. Other kitchen equipment needed are a deep fryer and a candy thermometer and you’re set. The main reason people screw up frying food is the oil is either too hot or not hot enough. A candy thermometer will give you an accurate reading (home deep fryers now have a temperature indicator).
The flour mixture that works best for me is a combination of all-purpose flour, fine corn meal plus some corn starch (the stuff used as a thickener) for dredging.
Warning: you may be stuck at your deep-fryer, fulfilling more orders for deep-fried zucchini!
Deep Fried Zucchini
(serves 4)
2 zucchini, well-rinsed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Flour Mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fine corn meal (see note below)*
2 Tbsp. of corn starch
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt + 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying (I prefer sunflower oil)
- Rinse your zucchini well and pat-dry. Using a mandoline (or a sharp knife), cut into very thin slices (1/8 inch). You may cut long thin slices down the length of the zucchini, across to make thin coins.
- Place in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander and strain excess water.
- Pre-heat your vegetable oil in a medium pot, wok or dedicated deep-fryer. You will need enough oil to fill the vessel about 2-3 inches deep. Place your candy thermometer in the oil and wait/watch for the oil to reach a temperature of between 365F.
- In the meantime, Mix the flour, corn starch, salt and pepper in a bowl with a fork. Dredge your slices of zucchini in the flour, shake off excess flour.
- When your oil has reached 365F, remove your candy thermometer and drop your first batch of dredged zucchini slices. Fry until golden and remove with a slotted spoon or spider and place on a paper-lined plate or platter. Spoon some homemade Tzatziki on a plate (1/2 inch deep) and now insert your zucchini chips into the tzatziki and serve.
- Continue to fry in batches, plate again and serve.
*Note: if you’r going to use corn meal, make sure it’s fine corn meal. Medium or course cornmeal will not stick and it will burn in your oil. Just use all purpose flour and corn starch and you’ll be fine.
38 Responses
Awe you are such a sweetie, helping out makes me feel like a proud Mama, and you called me Doll just like my Dad does :)
I love zucchini too, although I am a little timid when it comes to pan frying if you want a super excellent recipe (careful, it is Italian) try this pasta where pan fried zucchini is the star. It my boyfriend’s favorite thing that I make:
http://dailyunadventures.blogspot.com/2006/08/creamy-zucchini-and-basil-penne.html
Oh and the west coast rules, go hippies, and Toronto isn’t the east, its like… eastern-central. Halifax is east ;)
..and the real West is Siberia relating to Vancouver…nice try, Missy!
Love the looks of this treat. I love zucchini but do not often deep fry it. I’m prepared to break out the fryer for this recipe. Do you have to serve it immediately, or is it something you could make a bit ahead and serve it later in the day? – I was thinking of taking it to a picnic.
These zucchinis look great, they would go really well with my labneh :)
Wow, if you put these in front of me, these would disappear faster than Houdini.
Everything is better fried! I’m sold. These are better looking than those zucchini sticks they sell you at lesser restaurants. Pass the tzatziki!
Peter, I have missed your site & chatting with you via Twitter. Enjoying your fried zucchini for lunch now …. thank you for another tasty post!
You’ve said it all…. fried zucchini and tzatziki!! next time I’ll add the corn flour, want to see the result…
All I can say is Super Yum!!!
I hope you made some for me? They look so good!
And yes the best way ti enjoy them is to dip them in some tzatziki! Sorry I haven’t been around lately, but I had my first foodstyling job and was crazy busy until yesterday. All went well, but I need about a week to recover…
I don’t do a lot of frying, but next time I’m setting up a pot of hot oil, I’m going to give these a try. They’d be awfully good with cold beer!
you really should call this deep fried heaven! i mean seriously.
Looks good! I’ve had deep fried zucchini sticks with marinara sauce for dipping, but I think I’d like the thin rounds better.
A delicious way of cooking zucchini!
Cheers,
Rosa
I would take one fopr the team and sit at the fryer just so I could enjoy this simple and delicious dish.
Gorgeous shots, Peter. You have me drooling. Deep fried eggplant and/or zucchini are some of my favorite foods to nibble. It’s amazing the depth of flavor that the frying imparts… so worth the effort (and the calories!!)
Love to eat it when it is offered; but cook it myself? hmm. Your pic looks good!
Ohhh seriously Peter..these look sooooo yummy.
These are one of my favs! Ah I am just a bad fryer :( Yours look rustic and delish.
You’re right; they’re very fine and perfect with tzatziki. Don’t know why we need to complicate things with candy thermometers. A cook knows how to fry stuff; the beginners can be instructed re what to do. It’s not rocket science. The important thing is to be prepared for them to disappear as if by magic. BTW fine photos as usual.
These are a real favourite Peter! And thanks for the great tips for deep frying!
believe it or not, french fries don’t really excite me. however, if a plate of zucchini fries or chips is placed in front of me, the plate will be empty before i step away from the table. :)
Now see, I have zucchini in the fridge and a new bottle of oil. Now I have to make this for lunch.
Such a simple dish to make & yet so delicious! Yum!
This looks like a nice light coating for the zucchini chips. I think I like them better sliced round like this than in strips, which is usually the way we find them here in restaurants.
These look fabulous…in fact I want some right now!
Beautiful!
These look wonderful! I always order zucchini fritters/chips when I see them on a menu, but they don’t often look as good as these! I like that it is a nice thin coating rather than a heavy batter.
Ah, I love these so much but I only ever order them in taverns because for some reason I’m too scared of making them myself. Maybe it’s time to give them a go. And aubergines too… yum. Man I miss home!
I like how you slice them.
I’ll try the cornstarch idea, as yours look perfect!
LL
Fried zucchini and scordalia is one of my fav appetizers in Greek town restaurants! Yum!!! It’s fun smelling like garlic for a week :)
I’ve never seen them sliced thin like this for frying, I bet that really makes the texture great
These look awesome! I love that you serve the zucchini with tzatziki – perfect!
This is a nice teatime snack for me! on rainy day.