Italian Fried Vegetables Recipe
Bring the flavors of Italy to your table with Sara Moulton's Italian Fried Vegetables, a golden-crisp medley of zucchini, eggplant, and cauliflower coated in a light, beer-battered crust. Paired with a zesty basil aioli and fresh lemon wedges, this dish is the perfect appetizer or side for any gathering. It's a deliciously simple way to celebrate fresh vegetables with a satisfying crunch in every bite.
Recipe by Sara Moulton.
Recipe featured on Rachael Ray in Tuscany.
Ingredients
For the Basil Aioli:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested plus the juice from 1 wedge of lemon
A big handful of basil leaves
Salt
For the batter and fried vegetables:
1 bottle of beer, like Peroni
About 4 cups of AP Flour, divided
Salt
2 zucchini, cut into sticks
1 eggplant, cut into sticks
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
A couple quarts of oil for frying
Directions
To Serve:
Lemon wedges
Add garlic, mayonnaise, zest of 1 lemon and juice from 1 lemon wedge, and a handful of basil leaves to a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt as needed.
Heat up a medium pot with a few inches of fry oil until it reaches 365 F.
Add 2 cups of flour to a medium bowl and the other 2 cups of flour to a larger bowl, season both with salt. Begin whisking the beer into the flour in the larger bowl until it reaches the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve with basil aioli and lemon wedges.
