Get Via Carota's recipe: crispy Zucchini Fries

tantalizing matchstick crisps adapted from the hit NYC restaurant

photo: Via Carota

Today’s recipe, zucchini fries, comes from Via Carota, an NYC restaurant inspired by 17th-century villas in the hills near Florence.

In a city with thousands of Italian restaurants, Via Carota is a standout.

[There are] restaurants that are essential — the havens that become indispensable to their communities, that galvanize trends, set standards for hospitality, or illuminate a cuisine in ways that feel fresh and magnetic. The places, in other words, that become an indelible part of our culture.

Via Carota feels essential.

- Bill Addison, Eater

Patrons sum up the experience: “there's always a wait at Via Carota, and it's always worth it.”

But in the event you can’t or don’t want to wait in Via Carota’s notoriously labyrinthian line, The Secret Ingredient is here to help you feast at home.

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In case you missed it, check out Via Carota’s recipe for oysters with cucumber mignonette, adapted for easy home cooking here.

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These zucchini fries, or “zucchine fritte” as they appear on the menu, are sheared into crispy matchstick slivers.

Song Pairing: A Gira by Trio Ternura ¹

Recipe difficulty rating: intermediate

Ingredients: (serving size: 4)

• 2 medium zucchini, approx. 3/4 lb in total

• 90 grams all-purpose flour

• 100 grams cornstarch

• crushed sea salt, to season

• safflower oil (for frying), approx. 720 ml

• extra-virgin olive oil (for frying), approx. 720 ml

Cooking Appliances:

• large, high-walled pot

• sharp knife

• mandoline

• two large bowls

• sheet pan or large flat work surface

• paper towels

• sieve

• tongs

• deep-fry thermometer (optional)

photo: Via Carota

Instructions:

Trim the ends of your zucchini and discard them. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With the flat side facing down, use a mandoline (or knife) to slice each half into matchstick-thick planks. Then, cut along the length of each zucchini plank to produce long matchstick slivers. Soak the zucchini sticks in a cold bowl of water for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch, flour and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Prepare a sheet tray layered with paper towels next to the stove. Crush your sea salt into a fine powder.

Pour your safflower and olive oils into a large, high-walled pot, until they cover 3 inches. Turn the stove on high. To test the oil temperature to see if it’s ready to fry with, drop in a piece of zucchini. It should sizzle and float the second it lands. Once your (optional) deep-fry thermometer clipped on the side of the pot reads 350°F, you are ready to begin frying.

Lift a handful of zucchini out of the water and shake off any excess moisture. Place the wet zucchini in the bowl of cornstarch and flour and toss to thoroughly coat. Transfer zucchini sticks to a sieve set over the bowl of cornstarch and flour, shaking off excess coating.

Drop a large handful of zucchini sticks into the pot. They should sizzle right away. With tongs, carefully move the sticks around to keep them from sticking together. Stire occasionally and let fry until crisp and lightly golden, about four minutes. Transfer the zucchini sticks onto the paper towels and sprinkle with crushed sea salt.

Repeat this process with the remaining zucchini sticks, adjusting the heat between batches to maintain the right temperature. Test the oil’s temperature with a single zucchini stick before adding a new batch. Do not try to fry more than a handful of sticks at once or they won’t crisp properly.

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What’s your favorite salty indulgence? Leave a comment down below and let me know — I’m curious to hear!

1. for fun, I pair each recipe with a song it reminds me of. What song does this recipe bring to mind for you? Let me know in the comments