Fried Zucchini and Tzatziki for Aperitivo

• total time: 3 minutes

Ingredients

A crunchy, light-as-air, and addictive little snack that tastes just perfect with homemade tzatziki. Add a glass of cold wine and you’ve got the perfect happy hour.

For the tzatziki:

1 large persian cucumber, grated (you want about 1/2 cup grated cucumber)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or microplaned

2 tbsp finely chopped dill

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt

Line a colander with a clean towel or paper towels and add in the grated cucumber. Gather the cucumber in the towel or paper towels, and then squeeze out as much water as you can.

Directions

Add cucumbers to the Greek yogurt along with the rest of the ingredients and a pinch of salt and mix. Taste, and add more salt if desired. Set aside.

For the fried zucchini:

2 zucchini (about 1 lb total), thinly sliced (I used the 4.5mm setting on my mandoline)

1 cup flour

1 1/3 cup soda water

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

Neutral oil for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda water, and dried oregano, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a couple inches oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Once oil is hot (you can use a droplet of the batter to test the oil), dip a handful of zucchini slices in the batter then transfer one by one to the oil, using either tongs or a fork. Working in batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes depending on how hot your oil is, then flip and fry until the second side is golden brown. Remove to either a paper towel-lined plate or a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Season with salt.

Serve the fried zucchini warm with tzatziki on the side. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. #aperitivo #appetizer #friedzucchini #whattocook #tzatziki