Zucchini Sticks: Fried or Baked?

Fried zucchini sticks with panko with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

 Zucchini Sticks:  Fried or Baked?

by Victoria Challancin

As I've mentioned before, my mother, who was from Georgia, fried everything in that way of Southern cooks.  Normally, she cooked as if she were preparing food for an army, and often it seemed that she was.  In those older, more tranquil times in the rural South Florida of my youth, people used to "drop by" unannounced.  Conveniently, it happily seemed to me, that time for dropping by often coincided with mealtimes.  And at my parents' table, you often found platters of fried food:  chicken, rabbit, quail, dove, venison, fish, turtle, aligator tail, frog legs, okra, oh...and so much more.  Yep, my mother fried a lot of food. And it was all delicious.

On the other hand, I never fry.  Well, almost never.  And even though I don't cook or eat the food of my childhood often, it is still comfort food to me.  I think I would swim to Florida if I could once again taste my Mom's fried backstrap of rabbit, mashed potatoes with both pickled peaches and cream gravy, greens of any sort with hot pepper vinegar, pan-fried fresh sweet corn with bacon, and a big bowl of black-eyed peas with hamhocks.  Alas, though, not in my kitchen.

For a while it has been on my mind to prepare some panko-crusted eggplant or zucchini spears as a vegetarian option for a light lunch.  Of course, I had planned to bake them for health reasons.  As it turns out, the oven was occupied and I fried them instead.  Days later, because they were so good, I decided to bake them to see if I could tell the difference.  Here are the results of that experiment.

 The fried version

Both were satisfyingly tasty.  Which was actually better?  Why, the fried ones, of course.  The flavor was just a bit richer.  Which will I make again?  The baked ones--just because they are both easier to prepare, less messy, and so much healthier.  Not a great sacrifice to choose the baked version...

Which sound better to you?  The fried or baked version?

 Zucchini "fries," ready to be baked

Cook's Notes:  I rarely use dried herbs, but this is a case where they work just fine.  I used a blend of dried Italian herbs, but others, such as Herbes de Provence, would work as well.  Although I chose panko just because I like the light, crunchy effect it gives, any breadcrumbs (fresh, dried, wholewheat...) could be used.  If you choose to fry the zucchini sticks, simply use a sauté pan with about an inch of mild vegetable oil such as canola.  The zucchini are easy to cut by slicing vertically into four long slices, make stacks,  and then cut into French fry-sized batons.  This works equally well with eggplant, though you might want to use a salting technique first to remove any bitter juices (be sure to rinse).

Baked Zucchini Fries with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

For Zucchini Fries:

1 1/2 cups dried panko

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

1/4 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or dried Italian Herbs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large eggs, beaten

4-5 zucchini, cut into batons or "fries"

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly oil a cooking sheet with Pam or olive oil.  Mix together the panko, cheese, chile flakes, dried herbs, salt and pepper on a plate.  In a small to medium bowl, beat the two large eggs with a fork until frothy.

Dip the zucchini pieces one at a time into the beaten eggs.  Roll the zucchini pieces in the breadcrumb mixture, being careful to uniformly coat the pieces.  Place the zucchini on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Flip the fries with a spatula and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.  Serve with the aioli.

                                        A Note on Aïoli

My first exposure to aïoli was, in fact, in the south of France.  After that first taste over 40 years ago, I have experienced various Spanish versions, more French versions, and the non-egg garlic sauces like skordalia (both the potato and bread versions) and the Middle Eastern toum.  My love of garlicky sauces knows no bounds.

Aïoli is a traditional sauce from Provence (some will say Catalonia) made of garlic, olive oil, and egg.  Served at room temperature as an accompaniment to raw or boiled vegetables, boiled fish, and cooked eggs, it is utterly simple to make and it imparts a breath-zapping zing of rich raw garlic.  Other parts of the European Mediterranean serve it with seafood (particularly salt cod) and fish soups.  Some versions contain saffron, tomato, pears (Catalan), fresh herbs, capers, mustard, or chile pepper, but the traditional version is just garlic and maybe a hint of mustard.

What is aïoli--a simple definition of a traditional sauce seems lacking?  It is simply a rich, thick sauce made of crushed garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice, and olive oil.  The slow addition of the olive oil to the other pounded ingredients yields an emulsified sauce. a garlic-enhanced mayonnaise, if you will.  When I refer to aïoli in this article, I am talking about the Provençal version which uses eggs.


Thinking of fried food and garlic make me remember my mother, who always had garlic on hand:  it came 2 small heads to a tiny box that lasted her until it dried out and she needed more.  I, on the other hand, buy it by the pound.  And I never have to throw any dried bits out--it gets used too quickly!  My love of garlic came to me early on, and as I have travelled, my use of it has grown and grown.  That early exposure the garlicky aïoli of southern France was just a natural "fit" with my palate.

 A light vegetarian lunch with the baked version served with a purchased marinara sauce (gasp!)

Cook's Notes:  Because of the issue of using raw eggs here in Mexico, I just don't make my own mayonnaise any more, which is a shame as it is always, always so much better than the purchased kind.  In this recipe I simply use Helmann's Light.

Recipe:  Sun Dried Tomato Aioli

(Recipe by Victoria Challancin)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed

2 tablespoons fresh basi8l leaves

Pinch of cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

Place tomatoes, garlic, basil, cayenne, and lemon juice in a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add the salt, pepper, and mayonnaise.  Process until smooth.  Check and adjust seasoning to taste.

Parting Shot:

The Blue Bottle Tree from our friends' ranch

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved.

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