Marcella Hazan’s Fried Zucchini in Vinegar and Garlic
Prevent your screen from going dark
Makes
4 to 6 servings 1x
Scale
Ingredients
1pound fresh zucchini
Salt
2 garlic cloves
Vegetable oil
Flour
2 or 3 tablespoons good wine vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Soak and clean the zucchini, trimming away both ends, and cut it into sticks 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle these with salt and stand them inside a pasta colander, letting them steep for 30 minutes or more. Place the colander over a plate to collect the drippings. When the zucchini sticks have shed a substantial amount of liquid, take them out of the colander and pat them thoroughly dry with cloth and paper towels.
Mash the garlic cloves lightly with a knife handle, just enough to split the skin, which you will pull off and discard. Set the garlic aside for later.
Pour enough oil into a skillet to come 1/4 inch up the sides, and turn on the heat to high. When the oil is quite hot, put the zucchini sticks, a few at a time, into a strainer, pour some flour over them, shake off all excess flour, and slip them into the pan. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle on contact with the sticks. Do not put in any more of them at one time than will fit loosely.
Watch the zucchini sticks and turn them over when they become brown on one side. When they are brown all over, transfer them with a slotted spoon or spatula to a deep dish, and drizzle them with some vinegar. You will hear them crackle. Fry any remaining zucchini in the same manner and repeat the procedure with the vinegar.
When the zucchini sticks are done, buy the garlic in their midst, sprinkle with pepper, toss 2 or 3 times, and set aside to cool down to room temperature before serving.