Zucchini Fries

The zucchini is a vegetable I did not eat very much growing up. Not quite sure why but I do know my grandmother didn’t like cooking things she couldn’t pronounce (I take that back, she made Chicken Tetrazzini a few times ). “In a culinary context, zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower”.

Now that you are fully turned off with this talk of flower ovaries lets talk about the dish.  I came up with this recipe when I was frying chicken and felt guilty because I wasn’t eating a vegetable. There was a lonely zucchini sitting in the fridge and I decided to cook it the same way I was cooking the chicken. First letting the zucchini bathe in Frank’s Hot Sauce, dredging it in seasoned flour the deep drying it.

You will immediately taste the difference between these and your standard fried zucchini which is usually done with bread crumbs. The hot sauce will add less heat than you expect and a nice vinegar based tang. How large you cut the fries is up to you and how like your fries. It is easier to dredge the large fries.

ZUCCHINI FRIES

3 medium size zucchinis

1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce

1 cup flour

1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1/2 tablespoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon Lowry’s Season

vegetable oil

(instead of making a flour mixture you can you House-Autry Chicken Breader)

Mix flour and seasoning in large try or plate and set aside . Pour hot sauce in separate bowl and set aside.

Peel skin from zucchini and cut into shape of french fries (size at your discretion).  Add zucchini fries to bowl of hot sauce, mix and let sit for a few minutes.

Meanwhile pour vegetable oil into frying pan (enough to just cover fries) and heat to 375 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer drop one test fry to oil, the oil is hot enough with the fry comes to a good sizzle.

Take a batch of fries from hot sauce and dredge in flour mixture. Add fries to oil and cook in batches. Do not crowd the pan as this will lower your oil too much and cause the zucchini to be soggy. When fries are golden brown, remove from oil and allow to drain on paper towel. Serve with hot sauce or ranch for dipping.