Courgette Fries

Snacking can be really difficult when you're trying to maintain a healthy diet. It's easy to opt for fruit - it's readily available and you don't need to do much to it. But what do you think of when you want something savoury?

My oven-baked courgette fries recipe is perfect for when you need that savoury fix. And while my 'aioli' recipe is far from traditional, it's the perfect companion for this wonderful snack.

Ingredients

For the courgette fries...

Courgettes (your choice how many you want to make!)

Sea Salt

1 egg

Plain Flour

Paprika

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Black and White Pepper

Grated Parmesan

Dried Thyme

For the aioli...

Mayonnaise (yes, this is a cop out aioli - not an authentic one by any means!)

Fresh Parsley

Lemon Juice

Lemon Zest

Garlic

Sriracha (optional)

Method

• Slice up some courgettes into long sticks that are approximately 5mm thick and 1.5cm wide and lay them onto an oven tray lined with kitchen towel.

• Sprinkle them all with sea salt - and don't be afraid to be heavy handed! This process will draw the moisture out of the courgettes, which will help them to crisp up in the oven.*

• Leave for 20 minutes and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. If you have time, do the same to the other side but this is not essential. Rinse the salt off and pat dry with a paper towel.

• Next, set up a little production line - flour, egg, oven tray. In a large, flat plate, pour out some plain flour and season with some smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black and white pepper, dried thyme and some parmesan (no need for salt, the parmesan will add some saltiness). I tend to eyeball this but I would advise a teaspoon of each spice as a ballpark figure. In a bowl, whisk up an egg. Line your oven trays with foil and add a little spray oil to prevent the fries from sticking.

• Coat each courgette stick in a thin layer of the seasoned flour before coating it in the whisked egg. Doing this beforehand will allow the egg to stick to the courgettes better. Coat it once again the seasoned flour, making sure to keep one hand free for wet handling, and the other free for dry. Once done, set it down onto the oven tray.

• Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 6 (or 200°c) for around 20 minutes, making sure to turn them over halfway. If you find the flour is not cooking, drizzle some olive oil and allow to cook for longer.

• Whilst they are in the oven, its time to make some phoney aioli. Finely chop some parsley and mince up some fresh garlic. I tend to use around three cloves but this is genuinely down to preference! Next, add the juice and zest of half a lemon into the mayonnaise and mix with some extra virgin olive oil, the chopped parsley and garlic to finish. If you fancy a kick, add a little sriracha.

• And wallah - delicious courgette fries. Do they take a little time? Yes. But there's no reason why you can't prepare them in advance and reheat them in the oven once you're ready for them 😉

*Another technique you can use to avoid soggy courgette fries is cutting around the watery centre. I find this a little wasteful, so I still use this part of the courgette, but if you really want some crispy fries go ahead!