How to Deep Fry Zucchini

Zucchini is a flexible vegetable that lends itself to different preparations. A popular way to serve zucchini is battered with a tempura batter and deep fried. This makes a delicious appetizer, especially when zucchini is grouped with other tempura fried vegetables (such as eggplant, broccoli, carrots or cauliflower) to form a sampler plate. Follow these steps to make deep fried zucchini.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Deep fryer
• Cooking oil
• Zucchini
• Flour
• Eggs
• Water
• Several bowls
• Paper plates for breading station
• Tongs and spoons
• Paper towels
• Dipping sauce, such as marinara

1. Pre-heat the oil in the deep fryer. Use vegetable or peanut oil. Heat the oil to approximately 365 to 375 degrees F. The temperature depends on the fryer and the number of zucchini slices used.

2. Wash the zucchini. Slice it into either sticks or rounds.

3. Mix the tempura batter. Combine approximately 1 cup of flour and mix in seasonings, such as salt, pepper and garlic. Add one beaten egg. Whisk the mixture together until it is firm; add about a cup of cold water or soda water to thin into a batter. The batter will still be thick. Substitute a pre-packaged tempura mix if desired.

4. Dip the zucchini slices into the tempura mix. Coat thoroughly. Shake off any excess tempura batter. Continue to coat enough coated eggplant slices to fry in a batch.

5. Place the zucchini into the deep fryer using tongs. Stir to keep the slices from sticking together. Fry the zucchini slices until golden brown, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the fried zucchini from the deep fryer. Drain on paper towels.

6. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with marinara or other dipping sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• Pat the zucchini dry after washing. This will help the batter to stick to the zucchini
• Add the tempura zucchini to the deep fryer basket after the basket has been lowered into the hot oil. This will prevent the zucchini from sticking to the basket.
• To enhance the basic recipe, experiment with different seasonings and dipping sauces for fried zucchini. Spicy flavorings added to the batter make a nice pairing with a ranch dipping sauce.
• Always follow food and kitchen safety rules. Prevent cross-contamination of salmonella when working with raw eggs; wash hands and surfaces with soap and hot water and dry with paper towels.
• Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations when operating a deep fryer.
• Always have a fire extinguisher available when working with hot oil. Never allow children near hot oil or a deep fryer while cooking.

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