Zucchini and Fresh Mint Fritters

La storia di questo piatto

These fritters belong to the long Campanian summer, when zucchini crowd the kitchen tables and mint grows wild by the doorstep. They are a humble, home-kitchen dish, shaped by abundance rather than by any ancient rule.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Green zucchini
• 4 g Fine salt
• 120 g Type 00 flour
• 2 piece Eggs
• 40 g Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino
• 15 g Fresh mint
• 2 g Freshly ground black pepper
• 1000 ml Peanut oil

Preparazione

1. Wash the zucchini and grate them on the coarse side of a grater (or cut them into very fine julienne or small dice, so they bind well with the batter). Toss them with 4 g of fine salt and place them in a colander set over a bowl. Let them rest for 25 minutes: the vegetable water must drain out, otherwise the fritters stay soft in the pan and the oil splatters.
2. Squeeze the zucchini in small handfuls, firmly, also inside a clean kitchen towel, until no more drops come out. Put them in a large bowl with the eggs, the flour, the grated cheese, the mint finely chopped with a knife, and the pepper. Do not add any more salt: the zucchini and cheese are already savory, so taste only at the end of cooking. Mix until you obtain a thick but soft batter that falls slowly from the spoon and holds its shape in spoonfuls. If it is too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water; if too soft, add a tablespoon of flour. Optional: a pinch of instant savory baking yeast for lighter fritters.
3. Pour 1 litre of oil into a high-sided pan 24–26 cm wide (about 2–3 cm deep) and heat it to 170–175°C. Without a thermometer, drop in a small piece of batter: if it rises to the surface within 2–3 seconds with lively bubbles without browning right away, the oil is ready. If it browns immediately, it is too hot; if it sinks and sizzles weakly, it is too cold.
4. Using two spoons, scoop portions of batter, flatten them slightly and lower them into the oil without overcrowding the pan (4–5 at a time). Fry for 2–3 minutes per side, turning them only when the first side is well golden, until amber and crisp. Proceed in 3–4 batches, keeping the oil at 170–175°C. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, with a sprinkling of coarse salt if needed.