I’ve always loved zucchini chips. Thinly cut with a mandoline and fried until crisp. Served topped with lots of grated Kefalotyri cheese or with a side of tzatziki for dipping.

A few years ago, I was having lunch with winemaker Vasillis Papagiannakos at a seaside taverna in Porto Rafti (near Athens airport) and an order of shoestring zucchini fries was placed on our table. Game-changer.

Shoestring Zucchini Fries

(serves 4)

1 large zucchini, ends trimmed

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup fine corn meal

2 Tbsp. corn starch

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

oil for frying

1. Using an attachment for julienne/match sticks, carefully make shoe strings out of your zucchini. Place in a colander with a bowl underneath and sprinkle the zucchini with salt, toss and leave for an hour for salt to draw out water.
2. Into a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, corn starch, salt, pepper and mix with a fork.
3. Preheat your deep fryer to 365F or add oil into a deep pot and add enough oil to come up 3 inches (buy a candy thermometer to get right temp).
4. Take your zucchini and wrap in a tea towel and squeeze excess water out. Add zucchini in bowl with flour and toss to coat well.
5. Transfer zucchini to a fine sieve and shake off excess flour. Carefully place zucchini (fry in batches if needed) in the hot oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes or until just golden.
6. Remove zucchini fries from oil and place in a paper-lined bowl. Sprinkle some salt and toss.
7. Transfer to a plate/platter and serve with authentic Tzatziki.

Note about frying: whatever method you use to fry, ensure the vessel you’re using is filled 1/3 of the depth of deep fryer, skillet, pot, wok. This gives you plenty of room to safely fry.