Deep-fried courgette chips

Ingredients

• 300g/10 ½ oz young courgettes
• Sea salt
• Corn oil, for deep-frying
• Plain flour
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

These make a delicious alternative to potatoes and are very easy to make. Alternatively, you can serve them as an appetizer in the Greek style, piping hot after frying in a shallow pan of olive oil, with a cucumber yogurt dip.

Wash, pat dry and trim the courgettes. Cut into medium thick chips, place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix thoroughly. Leave for 30 minutes, so they have time to release any bitter juices. If you have a deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 180°C. If not, choose a sturdy deep sauce pan and clip a jam thermometer on to the sides.

If you don’t have a thermometer – cut a few cubes of white bread. Add enough oil to come about one-third of the way up the side of the pan – you don’t want too much oil or it could erupt over the top. Set over a medium-low heat. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by adding a cube of bread. The bread will take 40 seconds to brown when the oil has reached 180°C.

Tip the courgettes into a sieve and then on to kitchen paper. Pat dry carefully. Put a few tablespoons of plain flour in a large mixing bowl. Season with black pepper.

Once ready to cook, quickly mix the courgettes into the flour until they’re lightly coated. Place them in a deep-fry basket and lower into the hot oil. If you have a small fryer, you might have to do this in batches, so that the temperature remains at 180°C. Fry for 2–3 minutes, or until golden and crisp, then tip on to crumpled kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Serve immediately.

This recipe comes from Simply Veg by Sybil Kapoor published by Pavilion Books. Recipe photography by Karen Thomas.

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