From the menu of … Maggiano’s Little Italy, 3368 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-816-9650, www.maggianos.com
Q. We had dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy and loved their zucchini fritte. Could you please find out if they would like to share the recipe? Thank you.
Rubina Islam, Marietta
A. The chefs at Maggiano’s Little Italy are always generous with their recipes and were glad to share. This Crispy Zucchini Fritte takes a bit of time, but all of the prep work can be done ahead leaving just the last minute frying when ready to serve. Make the aioli and refrigerate, then slice the zucchini and bread it, and leave it to rest on a wire rack for up to an hour before cooking.
The aioli is an easy and food-safe variation on the traditional recipe, which calls for whisking raw egg yolks with oil and garlic. Garlic puree can be found at stores that sell Indian groceries or the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
Maggiano’s Little Italy’s Crispy Zucchini Fritté with Lemon Aioli
Hands on: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 8
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon grated Romano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, 7-8 inches in length, rinsed and dried
3 cups panko
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 cup club soda, more or less, as needed
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Lemon Aioli (see recipe)
In a small bowl, whisk together Parmesan, Romano and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Lightly trim both ends of zucchini and discard trimmings. Cut into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise. Set aside.
Pour panko into a pie plate and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Pour in club soda, whisking slowly. Add enough club soda so batter is consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more club soda as needed.
Dip each individual slice of zucchini in batter, then allow batter to briefly drip off zucchini. Cover both sides of slices with panko, pressing slices into crumbs to coat well on both sides. Arrange prepared zucchini slices on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Do not overlap slices. Continue until all slices are battered and crumbed. May be made up to 1 hour ahead.
In a Dutch oven, add enough oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Carefully slide zucchini slices into hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Remove zucchini from oil and arrange on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue until all zucchini slices are cooked.
Sprinkled fried zucchini with reserved cheese-salt mixture and serve immediately with lemon wedges, chopped parsley and Lemon Aioli.
Per serving: 215 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 4 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 308 milligrams sodium.
Lemon Aioli Sauce
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes: 3/4 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garlic puree
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, and garlic puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper. May be made up to 3 days ahead.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 74 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 52 milligrams sodium.
