How to make courgette fritti – recipe

If you want hot, crisp, juicy veg rather than a fluffy heap of fried potato, courgette fritti fit the bill. They work as a vegetable side or a snack with drinks, particularly when served with a hot sauce or a punchy dip. Prep 15 min · Salt 30 min+ · Cook 15 min · Serves 8 as a side.

You will need 2 medium courgettes, salt, 150g plain flour, 2 egg whites and light olive or neutral oil. Trim the ends, halve each courgette lengthways and slice down into roughly 5mm-thick pieces. Stack the slices, cut into matchsticks, toss with a generous sprinkling of salt and drain in a colander for about 30 minutes.

For the batter, stir lukewarm water (about 250ml) into the flour to a double-cream consistency and rest for 20 minutes. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, stir a spoonful into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest. Heat a large pan of oil to 170C (150C fan)/335F/gas 3½ (or use a deep-fat fryer at the same temperature) and turn the oven to low.

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