Courgette Fritti: A Crisp and Juicy Alternative to Chips
If you are craving a fluffy, carby heap of fried potato, these courgette fritti are not for you. However, if you want hot, crisp, and juicy vegetables, this recipe delivers. They work as a vegetable side or a fantastic snack with drinks, especially when paired with a hot sauce or punchy dip.
Preparation and Key Tips
Prep time is 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes for salting. Cook time is 15 minutes. Serves 8 as a side. Ingredients: 2 medium courgettes, salt, 150g plain flour, 2 egg whites, and light olive or neutral oil.
Choosing and Preparing Courgettes
You can use any size of courgette or summer squash. Larger fruits contain more seeds; for bigger courgettes or marrows, scrape out the watery core with a teaspoon to prevent the batter from becoming soggy from steam.
Cutting the Courgettes
Thinner cuts yield crisper outsides but less juicy centre. Chunky matchsticks offer the best compromise. For rounder squash like pattypan, half-moons work well. Trim ends, cut courgettes in half lengthways, slice into 5mm-thick pieces, stack, and cut into matchsticks.
Salting for Crispness
Toss matchsticks with a generous sprinkling of salt, place in a colander over a bowl, and drain for 30 minutes. This draws out water, ensuring a crisper finish and seasoning the courgettes from the inside. You can skip this step if pressed for time, but the result will be less crisp.
Making the Batter
Put flour (gluten-free works) in a wide dish. Stir in enough lukewarm water (about 250ml) to make a batter with the consistency of double cream (thick but pourable). Season lightly and rest for 20 minutes if possible.
Whipping Egg Whites
Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a spoonful into the batter to loosen, then carefully fold in the rest. This creates a light, airy coating.
Frying the Fritti
Fill a deep pan with oil to a third full and heat to 170C (150C fan)/335F. Alternatively, use a deep-fat fryer. Preheat oven to low and line an ovenproof tray with kitchen paper. Squeeze excess liquid from salted courgettes and dry in a clean tea towel. Fry in batches: drop a handful into batter, shake off excess, and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden. Stir to separate. Scoop onto the tray, season lightly, and keep warm in the oven while repeating with remaining courgettes, ensuring oil returns to temperature each time.
Serving Suggestions
Courgettes and batter can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge. Cooked fritti pair well with garlic mayonnaise, hot sauce, salsa verde, or a quick dip of thick plain yoghurt with crushed garlic, crumbled feta, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil.
