Crispy courgettes; food & drink A tasty and perfect accompaniment to any dish.

Byline: Paul Heathcote 

I LOVE courgettes when they are deep fried. We have recently opened the Grill Room, a smarter Italian restaurant in Preston, and when I eat there I always have a side order of these crispy courgettes with my main course.

You do need to have good, clean, hot oil and the garlic mayonnaise makes a wonderful accompaniment.

Always remember to drain the fritters well and place them on some kitchen paper before serving, and to add a good sprinkle of salt.

DEEP FRIED COURGETTES WITH GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Ingredients

4 courgettes

75g plain flour

1 dsp cornflour 

75ml milk

Sea salt & freshly milled pepper

Deep fat fryer set at 350degC

Method

1. Slice the courgettes on an angle about 1cm thick.

2. Mix the flour and cornflour together and season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper, and turn out onto a large flat plate.

3. Place the milk in a bowl and drop in the courgettes, give these a good drenching before picking out with one hand the courgette and dropping onto the flour.

With the other hand turn over and pat well to remove any excess.

4. Reserve to one side and repeat until all the courgettes are floured.

5. Deep fry about 16 pieces at a time until all are brown for about 2-3 minutes. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise.

For the Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients

100ml good mayonnaise

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2tsps chopped chives 

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with the courgettes.

CAPTION(S):

Deep fried courgettes with garlic mayonnaise Picture: HOWARD DAVIES/ hd110209recipe-