I know, I know. You’re sick of zucchini, right? And you’re probably tired of being bombarded with zucchini recipes from every corner of the internet. But hang in there with me for one more, this one is completely worth it.
First, take thick slices of zucchini, dip them into an egg wash and coat them with seasoned bread crumbs. Then fry them and enjoy the crisp/tender zucchini with an quick and easy tomato dipping sauce.
This recipe is a stark contrast to the healthy zucchini “pasta” that I posted last week, but I think that’s a good thing! Zucchini is versatile, and this is one of my favorite ways to eat it.
Fried Zucchini
serves 4 as an appetizer
For the zucchini:
1 large zucchini
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup panko
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs (Italian seasoning would be great, but I can’t find it in Japan. So I used equal parts basil and oregano.)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Olive oil (for frying)
Set up a breading station. Put the flour into a shallow dish, season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of freshly ground pepper. Crack the egg into a second shallow dish, add a teaspoon of water or milk, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Beat the egg to create an egg wash. Put the panko into a third shallow dish. Add the cheese, dried herbs, red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt. Mix to combine.
Cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch-thick slices. No flimsy zucchini rounds here, we want something we can sink our teeth into! Coat them lightly with the seasoned flour, dip them in the egg wash, then put them in the panko dish. Cover each slice with panko and press the breading firmly into the zucchini. You want it to stick, and you want a pretty substantial layer of breading. Repeat with all the zucchini.
Pour olive oil into a shallow pan so that the oil is about 1/2 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat. Fry the breaded zucchini until golden brown, flipping once while cooking. They should take about 90 seconds per side.
For the sauce:
1 cup tomato puree (I used my favorite passata rustica because I like the slightly chunky texture.)
1 tablespoons dried Italian herbs (again, Italian seasoning would be perfect but I used basil and oregano.)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
Combine the ingredients into a small saucepan. Simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Add water if the puree is too thick, but you do want it on the thicker side so that it sticks to the zucchini. Taste and adjust flavors, adding sugar if the sauce is too acidic for your taste.
Enjoy!
