One of my favorite people on the planet is my Aunt Ellen. She has been one of my heroes since I was just a little girl, and has maintained that status my whole life. For starters, she has done a million jobs ranging from restaurant owner to innkeeper to her current work as newspaper editor/writer/blogger. Ellen is an amazing photographer and a phenomenal cook, but she shines brightest as an aunt to five kiddos by blood, seven kiddos by marriage, and an uncountable number of friends’ children.
Ellen is now writing a food blog for CNY Link, which is focused on Central New York; her blog can be found at this link.
She just sent me a piece she’s writing about breaded eggplant. It’s fabulous. However, The Magpie doesn’t love eggplant, so I thought I might try to modify her recipe for zucchini.
Breaded Zucchini a la Ellen
serves two as a side dish
2 zucchini
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan
olive oil
salt and pepper
canola oil for frying
Cut the zucchini into 1/4″ to 1/2″ slices, then salt and pepper them.
On a sheet of wax paper, combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put a good coating of canola oil on the bottom of a frying pan (I used a stainless steel pan, not a non-stick). and heat up over medium heat.
Meanwhile, toss the zucchini in olive oil just to coat, then toss in the breadcrumbs to lightly coat them.
Place zucchini in hot oil – it should sizzle but not pop and burn you when you put the zucchini in. For my zucchini, it took about four minutes on the first side to brown, and then about three on the other. I flipped the zucchini one at a time with tongs, tedius but less mess. I removed the slices from the pan and drained them on paper towels; I didn’t want to put the sizzling side down, so inverted them again as I took them out of the pan one at a time.
We served this with grilled flounder from the Jersey Shore, as well as rice pilaf with peas and lemon.
