L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano A s e v e r y o n e knows, zucchi- n i ( a k a c o u r - gettes) are a sta- p l e o f m o d e r n Italian cookery. Italians have come up with a nearly end- less variety of recipes for their beloved cucurbita pepo: They can be sautéed in garlic and olive oil, stewed in toma- t o s a u c e , s t u f f e d , f r i e d then marinated in vinegar, napped with egg and cheese, b a k e d p a r m i g i a n a s t y l e , used as a filling for frittata, made into fritters, a condi- ment for pasta… They even make their way into dessert! The list goes on and on. M o s t o f t h e s e r e c i p e s involve some sort of sauce or condiment to compliment or "elevate" the mild taste of this vegetable. Today's recipe for zucchine a fiammif- ero, or zucchini matchsticks, lets the vegetable shine on its own. The zucchini are cut into julienne strips, salted to remove excess liquid, and pat dry, then lightly floured and deep-fried. And that's it. With only four ingredi- ents, this recipe is just about as simple as you can get, but f o r b e s t r e s u l t s i t d o e s require due attention to tech- n i q u e . T h e z u c c h i n i n e e d proper prepping, and the fry- ing needs special care if you want your zucchini match- s t i c k s t o c o m e n i c e a n d crispy. But no worries, it's all well within the skills of even a beginner cook. And the results will repay you hand- somely. Zucchini matchsticks are as addictive as French fries, only lighter and even tastier. Zucchine a fiammifero make a fine side dish to com- pliment just about any meat or fish dish you can think of. Or, especially when paired with other vegetables fried in the same way, they can serve as an antipasto. And they're q u i t e a t h o m e a s p a r t o f a fritto misto. Ingredients Serves 4-6 as a side dish 4-6 medium-sized zucchi- ni Flour Oil for frying Salt Directions T r i m t h e e n d s o f f e a c h zucchini, then cut them in half crosswise. If your zucchi- ni are not too long, you can also leave them whole. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips using the julienne blade of a mandoline slicer. Or if using a knife, cut them lengthwise into thin slices, then cut the slices lengthwise into thin strips. Place the resulting zucchi- ni "matchsticks" into a colan- d e r a n d t o s s w i t h a g o o d pinch of salt. Let the zucchini rest for an hour or so. Just before you're ready to cook, pat the matchsticks dry with a paper towel. Then toss them with flour to coat them l i g h t l y , s h a k i n g o f f a n y excess flour. P r o c e e d i n g h a n d f u l b y handful so as not to crowd FRANK FARIELLO T h e i n i t i a l s a l t i n g a n d r e s t i n g o f t h e z u c c h i n i matchsticks are essential. Y o u m i g h t b e t e m p t e d t o skip that step, but resist the temptation. Zucchini are a watery vegetable, which is why, as you probably have n o t i c e d , c o o k e d z u c c h i n i tends to be very soft. Salting l e e c h e s o u t t h e i r e x c e s s water, which should ensure t h e y d o n ' t t u r n t o m u s h when you fry them but rather crisp up nicely. (The salt also "pre-seasons" the zucchini, so taste before salting after frying). Recipes are all over the map on how long to let them sit, with some calling for as little as 15 minutes and others as long as two hours. I find an hour (as recommend- e d b y A d a B o n i i n h e r c l a s s i c T a l i s m a n o d e l l a Felicità) works quite well. After they've been purged of their excess water, you'll want to pat your matchsticks dry very gently with paper towels, so as not to bruise them. I actually like to lay t h e m o u t o n o n e l a y e r o f paper towels, then top with another, then roll them up and press them together very gently. You may need more than one go to get them per- fectly dry. Take care to fry your zuc- chini matchsticks right after you've floured them. If you w a i t , t h e f l o u r m a y t u r n gummy, which will inhibit browning. If you're making a large amount, you may want to flour in batches, then fry in batches, too. And here's another case where Wondra flour does work wonders. It won't cake onto the zucchini and stays dry, producing a light, crispy crust. I've seen Italian recipes call for rice flour for the same reasons, which makes the dish gluten- free as well. All the usual tips about deep frying apply here. Use a lot of oil for a true deep fry. The zucchini strips should be able to float around freely in the oil. Also, make sure the oil is nice and hot (but with- out actually smoking) before you begin to fry. If you toss in a test matchstick, the oil should immediately bubble up vigorously around it. And above all, don't crowd the frying pan, so the zucchini matchsticks fry up quickly and brown nicely. Try frying too many at once and you may wind up with a greasy mess. Zucchini fries are a lighter, but just as flavorsome, alternative to French fries (Photo: Svetlana Kolpakova/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Zucchine a fiammifero, or zucchini matchsticks the pan, deep fry the match- sticks in abundant oil until t h e y t u r n g o l d e n b r o w n . Transfer each batch to a bowl lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil. Once you've fried all the zucchini matchsticks, toss them with a pinch of salt if t h e y n e e d i t . S e r v e t h e m right away, while they're still hot. Notes

• Cover