Fried Squash
A historical recipe from The Italian Cook Book The Art of Eating Well, by Maria Gentile (1919).
A historical recipe
The Italian Cook Book The Art of Eating Well; Practical Recipes of the Italian Cuisine, Pastries, Sweets, Frozen Delicacies, and Syrups, by Maria Gentile (1919). Project Gutenberg eBook #24407.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
Italy
Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
-
Hello, I'm Chef Wood. Ask me anything about this recipe, whenever you like. Press play, or say “next”, and I'll read you the steps one at a time.
Chef Wood answers only when you ask, so take all the time you need. His answers come from AI and are general cooking guidance.
- The squashes used by Italians for frying and other purposes are very small, and for this reason they are called "Zucchine" or small squashes.
- They can be bought at those shops kept by Italian vegetable dealers that are now to be found in large number in most American cities and, invariably, in Italian neighborhoods during the summer season.
- The "Zucchine" are an extremely tasty vegetable and they are especially good when fried.
- Select the squashes that are long and thin: wash them cut them in little strips less than half an inch thick.
- Take away the softer part of the interior and salt moderately.
- Leave them aside for an hour or two, then drain them but don't dry them.
- Put them in flour and rub gently in a sieve to take away the superfluous flour: immediately after put them in a saucepan where there is already oil, fat or butter boiling.
- At the beginning don't touch them to avoid breaking, and only when they have become a little hardened stir them and remove when they begin to be browned.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
-
Frying pan
-
Saucepan
-
Chef's knife
-
Wooden spoon
-
Sieve
-
Colander