Hi guys, I'm Laura Vitale and on this episode of Laura in the Kitchen I really want to show
you how to make my zucchini fries because they are so good!
We love them, and I made them low carb, kind of not on purpose, but they are just incredible,
so if you are eating low carb and you don't want to use breading, you've gotta make these
because they are crispy.
In fact when I made them the first time, I made this version and I made a classic version
- by the way, I bake mine, not fry - and Joe was like - he didn't know which was which
- and was like 'that one is better because that one is crispier and it stays together
a lot better'.
And it was the one with this mixture, which of course is going to be using ground almonds,
which I use a lot and I encourage you to too, because ground almonds are just, they're flavorless,
but they give you such lovely crispiness, they're so delicious, I use it as breading
in a lot of stuff so this mixture is perfection.
You will need ground almonds, these are blanched almonds that have been ground, but you can
use regular ground almonds with the skins on and it works just as well.
Then I've got a mixture of pizza seasoning, I've got a lot of granulated garlic, oregano,
basil, onion and I also have some hot pepper flakes, it's magical.
Lots of freshly grated parm, a couple of eggs, a little bit of olive oil, salt and you're
going to need your zucchini.
Which I'm also going to show you how to make the most fabulous dipping sauce with these
that just throws these over the top.
Alright, my oven is preheated to 425, that's out of the way, then I have a baking sheet
that I've just lined with some aluminum foil, easy cleanup, and I take a little olive oil,
you don't need much, and I just drizzle some on the bottom just like that.
I just want to have everything kind of ready, okay?
So now i'm just going to whisk together my topping, I'm going to add a little pinch of
salt to my ground almonds, right?
Freshly grated parm, now if you are using already pre-shredded parm, it's a lot denser,
see how light this is - so I can use a good three or four tablespoons, but if you're using
pre-grated, you only want to use about 2 tablespoons here, but if you're going to be using fresh,
a good three to four tablespoons is what you want because it's not as compacted.
So I'm just going to grate this and then I'm going to stir it all together with my fork.
I also added a pinch of salt to my eggs, whisked them and they're good to go.
Now let's talk zucchini, when it comes to zucchini, the smaller the better.
If your zucchini is really thick, you know really big and fat and large, it's got a higher
water content which means it's going to make your zucchini fries soggy because there's
a lot of water in them, so when it comes to zucchini try to look for one that's a little
on the smaller side, so there's not as much water content and it helps them keep their
shape.
I just cut the top off, cut the base a little bit, cut them in half, and you want to make
sure you don't cut them too big because like I said they will get soggy, so this is about
what you are looking for.
I would say maybe a half inch all around.
So I'm going to continue to do that to all of them and then we'll get going on dipping
and dredging and all that!
Once you have them all cut up, just keep one hand for wet, one hand for dry and I just
dip into the egg - which by the way, if you want to use eggwhite that works as well, doesn't
really matter and then I just ind of lightly - lightly, you don't want to over do it.
Like that, and then I just place them on my oiled baking sheet.
Just like that.
And I'm just going to keep going with the rest of them.
Once you have them all laid out, you just take your olive oil again, you don't want
to add too much, you don't want these to swim in oil, you just want to add - that's why
I like this little spout on top because it just helps me add the right amount.
About, I would say a tablespoon for the bottom and the top will do.
Into a hot oven at 425F for 20 minutes, which you will, halfway through, flip them so that
they get really nice and crispy and delicious and then I will show you what they look like
when they are done and make our special sauce.
Alright so my zucchini fries were in the oven for 25 minutes, it could take a little longer
than 20 minutes just keep your eye on it you want them to be really beautiful golden-brown,
these just look fantastic, they hold together really well, and you have to keep in mind
you'remnot using breading or breadcrumbs, you're not frying them, so, you know, they're
not going to be as - they're not going to have as thick of a coating on them if you're
not going to fry them, but honestly, I mean look how good these hold up.
They're so delicious, I already ate 2!
Don't judge me!
But they are incredible, and when they come out they're going to be quite soft so you
want to put them on a cooling rack to let them finish cooling completely, and that's
what gets them to the next level by keeping them in a really good shape and you know keeping
them together.
The sauce - the sauce is applesauce!
It's not.
I'm kidding.
The sauce is so good you can serve these with mayo, you can serve these with ketchup, you
can serve these with marinara sauce but this is what - this is what it's all about.
Mayo, a little ketchup, prepared horseradish, garlic, squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt.
That's it!
Stir it all together and it makes the most incredible sauce ever!
You're going to want to serve it on anything and everything and I'm telling you it gets
better and better as it sits in the fridge so if you want to make this ahead of time,
please do.
But for now I just need my zucchini fry.
To sauce.
To mouth.
Mmm!
Honestly.
No words.
They're so good, lovely texture, incredible flavor, I'm going back in.
Unbelievable.
LauraintheKitchen.com recipe, you got it.
Make it, you'll love it!
I promise.
See you next time.
Bye!