I am writing this post from Montreal, an overdue getaway filled with lots of great food along the way.

Estiatorio Milos, now located in Miami, Las Vegas, New York, London, Los Cabos, Athens and of course, Montreal, where the first Milos opened.

Although Milos is known for it’s fresh grilled fish and seafood, they have also made a name for it’s Milos Special, a stack of fried zucchini and eggplant chips piled up with a mound of tzatziki and some fried saganaki cheese around the platter.

I’m presenting you with a simpler version with just zucchini chips but you may choose to use eggplant as well. I like Japanese eggplant as they are of similar size to zucchini.

The glue to this recipe and accompaniment is Tzatziki, so you should get started with that a day ahead. The rest can be done prior to serving: cut and prepare zucchini for frying, fry, lay tzatziki on the platter, arrange zucchini into the tzatziki, stack the remaining zucchini, grate some cheese and serve.

An impressive appetizer!

Fried Zucchini Tower With Tzatziki

(appetizer for 4)

1 recipe for Tzatziki

2 zucchini, 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)

Garnish

grated Kefalotyri cheese

1. 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.
2. Place in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander and strain excess water.
3. 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.
4. In the meantime, Mix the flour, corn meal, corn starch, salt and pepper in a bowl with a fork.  Dredge your slices of zucchini in the flour, shake off excess flour.
5. 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.
6. To assemble your zucchini tower, spoon about 1/2 cup of tzatziki in the center of your plate. Now insert wedges of your zucchini chips into the bottom of your tzatziki in a circular fashion and continue until the tzatziki is covered entirely with zucchini chips.
7. Arrange the remaining chips on top, garnish with lots of grated Kefalotyri cheese and serve.

NOTE: cornmeal is corn flour and it comes in different grinds ie. fine, medium and coarse. You want fine cornmeal