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Lina Olive Oil

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Fried Zucchini

By Skyler Mapes, the co-founder of EXAU Olive Oil, a family-farmed extra virgin olive oil from Calabria, Italy, and the author of The Olive Oil Enthusiast (Penguin Random House). A Level II certified olive oil sommelier, she is one of the few women leading an olive oil company worldwide and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30.

The key to making the perfect fried zucchini is the technique:

  • The zucchini must release enough water
  • The batter should be made fresh
  • Theyi can’t sit in the batter for too long
  • The oil needs to be hot to create a nice crust
  • The oil from the fried zucchini must drain
  • And of course, these should be eaten ASAP (that’s the easy part!)
Fried zucchini

Types of flour, water, beer

Lina, Giuseppe’s mom, likes using a product in Italy called farine magiche frittura (“magic flour for frying”). And yes, it really is magic because the zucchini comes out crunchier.

Farine magiche frittura is a mix of type 00 flour, wheat starch, rice flour, bread flour, and baking powder. I don’t see it as readily available in US grocery stores (please leave a comment below if you have). I suppose you could make your own if you have all the ingredients on hand, but that sounds like a lot of work.

When Lina doesn’t have farine magiche frittura, she uses type 00 flour and very cold sparkling water (that’s our recommendation for you). Or! A more exciting option – very cold beer.

If this is your first time making this, we recommend starting with sparkling water. But, since it’s summer, maybe just go for it? OR! If cooking for a crowd, do half and half and get some cold, hard data.

Personally, we’ve never seen a fried zucchini we didn’t like, so you can’t really go wrong.

Types of cooking oil

In our home, we only use olive oil for all cooking and frying. Use your preferred frying oil.

Do you have to use a thermometer

Technically, you should. But sometimes we skip this step and simply test if the oil is hot by dropping in a small spoonful of batter. You want all sides to quickly be surrounded by small bubbles, and the batter should fluff up a bit. Test a battered zucchini as well before beginning to fry.

Shop our collection of high quality Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils!

Other recipes you might like...

Zucchini fritters

Fried artichokes

Pasta with zucchini

Hey, we wrote a cookbook and guide called The Olive Oil Enthusiast, have you ordered it yet?

If you make this recipe please leave a comment and let us know! We love to hear from you. If you’re on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok don’t forget to tag us and use #EXAUoliveoil so we can repost!

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Fried Zucchini

Servings

6

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Cuisine

Italian

Crispy fried zucchini, you'll only need zucchini, flour, sparkling water, and frying oil.

Fried Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 700g zucchini (25 oz), approx 3 large or 4 medium, sliced into ⅛” thick rounds
  • 140g flour (5 oz), type 00 (or frying flour / farine magiche, see above)
  • 220ml (7.5 oz) very cold sparkling water (or cold beer, see above)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Preferred frying oil

Directions

  1. Place the zucchini in a large colander and sprinkle generously with salt (½ tsp per zucchini). Mix well to ensure all sides are evenly coated. Set a plate or bowl on the zucchini to help it release more water. Leave for 30 minutes. Rinse well with water to remove bitterness. Let drain then lay the zucchini out on paper towels (or a kitchen towel) and pat dry.
  2. Prep a plate with paper towels or a tray with a cooking rack.
  3. Add the flour to a large bowl. Mix in the water (or beer) and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk until all lumps are smooth. The consistency should be similar to waffle batter. If it’s too thick, add a splash of liquid. Set aside.
  4. Heat a medium-sized pan on medium heat. Add between 1/4” - 1/2" (0.5 - 1 cm) of frying oil. Bring the oil to 350°F.
  5. While waiting for the oil to heat, add a handful of the zucchini to the batter. Use tongs to flip. Make sure both sides are very well coated. Carefully place each round into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the zucchini to the plate/cooking rack and allow the oil to drain.
  6. Serve while hot, and if needed, add a sprinkle of salt.

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