Vegetables used to get a bad reputation for being a bit boring and tasteless, but not any more. Every day, more people are learning how to cook veggies in order to make them taste better and really shine on their own, rather than being a sad side dish.
Courgettes are one of the most versatile ones around, and they taste great in a salad, traybake or even a carbonara. And one chef has shared a fantastic way to cook them which makes them ‘delicious’ – and it only takes a few minutes. Thom Bateman, known for his simple yet inventive recipes, recommends making crispy courgette fries instead of roasting or grilling them.
Rather than cutting the courgettes into rounds and baking them in the oven, Thom says you can slice them into chip-like shapes, coat them in a deliciously light batter, and fry them until they’re crunchy and tasty.
Another thing which will really give the fries a crisp exterior is to sprinkle a bit of salt on them before cooking and allow this to dry out any excess moisture.
Courgette is quite a water-heavy vegetable, but this will soon fix that and give it a much better texture when it comes to frying.
Instead of ketchup, Thom recommends serving with some delicious burrata and hot honey on the side. Here’s everything you need to make this comforting side dish.
Method
Cut the courgettes into batons. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle some salt over the top, and lightly massage it in. Leave for 10 minutes – this will help to draw some of the moisture out of the courgettes.
Meanwhile, make the hot honey by mixing the honey, chilli and lemon juice, adding some olive oil to loosen it up.
Mix the egg white and sparkling water into the drained courgettes then coat in the flour mix. Lightly shallow fry at 170C for three to four minutes until crispy and golden.
Serve with the buratta on the side, and season with sea salt and the hot honey dressing.