Fried zucchini with skordalia
“Big, little or in bloom, the zucchini offers something for everybody.”
For the skordalia
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 70g day-old, white bread, crusts removed and torn into bits
- 150ml warm milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
For the zucchini
- 2 large zucchini (80g each), sliced on the diagonal, 1/2 centimetre thick
- Salt and pepper
- Self-raising flour
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice
More often than not, when a recipe lists zucchini, small specimens are called for. And for good reason; they're sweeter, crisper and don't contain as much water. This is all well and good but, during their peak season of late spring and summer, larger zucchini are plentiful and inexpensive and if they are growing in the garden, you'll more than likely be left with some the size of small footballs.
Method
Put the garlic into a mortar with a couple of pinches of salt and grind to a paste. Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes until spongy. Squeeze out excess milk and put bread into a food processor with the garlic, a couple of turns of pepper and the vinegar. Pulse and add oil in a thin stream until it is thick and paste-like. Don't overwork; a little texture is desirable. Sprinkle zucchini slices with a little salt and drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Pat dry, sprinkle with pepper and dredge in the flour. Fry in olive oil until golden, drain on absorbent paper and serve with skordalia, squeezing lemon juice over them.
Serves 2
