A tasty way to use zucchini from one of Atlanta’s well-known Italian restaurants.
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1-1/2 pounds zucchini, 7-8 inches in length, washed and dried
3 cups panko
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup club soda (more or less as needed)
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 lemon, cut in quarters
Lemon Aioli Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together Parmesan, Romano and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Lightly trim both ends of zucchini and discard trimmings. Cut into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise (spears). Set aside.
Pour panko into a pie plate and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Pour in club soda gradually, whisking slowly, adding enough club soda so batter is consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more club soda as needed.
Dip each slice of zucchini in batter, then allow batter to briefly drip off zucchini. Cover both sides of slices with panko, pressing slices into crumbs to coat well on both sides. Arrange prepared zucchini slices on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Do not overlap slices. Continue until all slices are battered and crumbed. May be made up to 1 hour ahead.
In a Dutch oven, add oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Carefully slide zucchini slices into hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove zucchini from oil and arrange on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue until all zucchini slices are cooked.
Sprinkle fried zucchini with reserved cheese-salt mixture and serve immediately with lemon wedges, chopped parsley and Lemon Aioli Sauce.
Lemon Aioli Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon pureed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley and pureed garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. May be made up to 3 days ahead.