Roman Zucchini Fritters with Parmigiano Cheese

Directions

1. In a large, deep bowl, combine the flour, grated cheese, garlic powder, chopped basil, and eggs, and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you feel the batter isn't thin enough after adding the eggs, slowly and gradually add water to the batter until it's thick enough to adhere to the slices of zucchini. Mix this well with a fork until well blended, then add the slices of zucchini and gently mix by hand to coat each and every slice.
2. Let this mixture rest for a moment or two. In the meantime, prepare a large platter with paper towels and set aside.
3. Add about an inch or so of olive oil to a large, deep, non-stick skillet and place on medium-high heat. Test the oil by dropping a bit of batter in; it should slowly start to cook and begin browning.
4. Begin adding your zucchini slices and allow to cook and brown until the zucchini begins to soften and the batter is a golden color.
5. NOTE: Adjust the oil temperature according to the thickness of the zucchini slices. Thicker slices need more time to cook, so don’t over brown these—keep the heat a bit lower—while thin slices will cook very, very quickly.
6. Turn the slices over to cook completely on the other side and then remove them to the large platter and place gently on the paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with additional sea salt at this point, if desired.
7. Once all the zucchini slices are cooked and drained, remove the oil from the heat and discard properly once cooled.
8. Serve these at room temperature with a healthy dose of additional grated Parmigiano cheese to taste. Enjoy with wine and toasted breads as an appetizer, or as a side dish to chicken and meat dishes.