Fried Zucchini Grandma's Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep breading from falling off zucchini? ›

To keep the breading from falling off your deep fried zucchini sticks, you need to make sure they're as dry as possible before you get started. Allowing the zucchini to sit in salt and pepper for at least 5 minutes can be super helpful. You may also want to chill the breaded zucchini for about 15 minutes before frying.

Salting your zucchini is the most important step in preventing it from getting soggy. Additionally, make sure your pan is properly preheated before frying the breaded zucchini. Adding the zucchini to a cold pan will make it come out oily and soft rather than crisp and golden.

Zucchini is 94 percent water, which is why it gets mushy when cooked for too long. The first step in this recipe involves salting the flesh of the zucchini and allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. The salt draws the moisture from the flesh which helps ensure that the vegetable stays firm during roasting.

You don't start dry

The first step to breading chicken is crucial: Make sure the chicken is completely dry before starting the dredging process. Using a paper towel, pat the meat dry on all sides. Excess moisture will cause the flour to get soggy, meaning it will not adhere properly to the chicken.

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying.

The secret to zucchini with the best flavor and texture is roasting it in a 450°F oven. Roasting zucchini at a high temperature instead of baking or sautéing helps develop browning and a slight char on the outside, which keeps it from getting soggy.

In fact, salting before cooking is actually Daniel Boulud's tip for prepping crispier eggplant, and zucchini is much the same. Science is on the side of salting in advance. When salt is sprinkled on the flesh of a water-dense fruit like zucchini and left to sit for a while, a process known as osmosis occurs.

You can season the oil before you add the zucchini with garlic, shallots, spices, or red pepper flakes, it's totally up to you. Once the oil, butter, or combination thereof is heated, add all of the zucchini. If the pan seems crowded at first, don't worry. Season with salt and toss to begin drawing out the moisture.

What causes this bitterness? All cucurbits produce chemicals called cucurbitacins, which cause the vegetables to taste bitter and served as a defense against plant-eating wildlife. Cucurbitacin also contributes to the musky scent of cantaloupe.

Once the zucchini is caramelizing, you'll continue to cook it until it's until tender all the way through—a paring knife or a fork should slip in without much resistance—but not yet mushy.

Why is my sauteed zucchini bitter? ›

Remove the Seeds: The seeds and surrounding flesh can sometimes contribute to bitterness. You can scoop out the seeds before cooking. Salt and Drain: Sprinkle salt on sliced zucchini and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. This draws out excess moisture and bitterness.

Definitely not. You only need a little salt — half a teaspoon of kosher salt for one medium zucchini, say — to start pulling the water out. Use more, and the zucchini will simply taste like zucchini-flavored salt. If you try to rinse out the extra salt, you risk adding back in the water you just tried to get rid of.

Otherwise, slicing with a knife is fine too. Sprinkle the 2 tsp of salt on the zucchini as you go and allow the zucchini slices to sit in a colander or for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run two fingers on either side of the slices, squeezing all the way down over a bowl or the sink, releasing even more water.

As the bread or cake cooks, those air bubbles make it rise, but because they are unstable, the bread or cake then collapses as it sits. Try mixing with a gentler touch: use medium, not high, speed on the electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing slowly in between each addition.

If the batter reaches the top of the pan and still needs to rise, it will collapse. This heavy batter simply needs structure (aka pan sides) so it can keep climbing. The recommendation is to fill your loaf pan only about 2/3 full at most.

Shake excess buttermilk off of a handful of veggies, and coat lightly with breading, then coat with egg wash, letting excess drain off, and return to breading, turning and pressing to help it adhere. Transfer veggies to the tray as they are coated, and repeat with remaining veggies.

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.