You might be used to breaded and fried zucchini cut in French-fry fashion, but when my mother fried zucchini, she would always cut them in rounds or slices. I liked them that way: they made great sandwich stuffers, especially when the flavors and moistness of the zucchini seeped into the bread. For over-the-top flavor, add a few slices of Swiss cheese and melt under the broiler or in a sandwich press. The perfect Italian lunch.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　Vegetable oil, for frying

　　4 large eggs

　　Kosher salt

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　3 cups fine dry bread crumbs

　　1 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

　　2 pounds medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-to-1/2-inch- thick rounds on the bias (see note)

　　

Step 1

Heat 1 inch of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt, and stir in the mint. Put the flour in one shallow bowl, and mix the bread crumbs and grated cheese in another.

　　

Step 2

Dredge the zucchini, in batches, in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess. Let the rounds rest on sheet trays while you finish all of the zucchini. When the oil reaches about 365 degrees (or when a piece of zucchini sizzles on contact), slip a batch of zucchini into the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden all over, about 2 minutes. Drain the zucchini on paper towels, and season with salt. Let the oil return to temperature between batches, and repeat with the remaining zucchini, seasoning with salt as soon as they come out of the oil.

　　

notes

Step 3

Cut slices 1/4 inch thick if you like crispier slices, or 1/2 inch thick if you like meatier slices.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.