Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Crunchy Baked Zucchini Planks with Garlic-Lemon Aioli


About a year and a half ago, JJ and I were given a gift card to Maggiano's for our 2nd anniversary. We had never been there before, so we had the server sort of choose our menu for the night. We started with the appetizer combination platter, and the shining star of that dish was the fried zucchini with aioli. I can't say I remember much else about that meal, the zucchini was the star of the show! It was crispy and flavorful, and the aoili was the perfect pairing. I'm usually not a fan of creamy based sauces or ranch dressings, but this was phenomenal. We haven't been back to Maggiano's, but this zucchini has been on my mind since then, and I had been meaning to recreate it at home. 

On our weekly Farmer's Market excursion this week, like every week, I haphazardly pointed at produce and baskets and filled up my cart. I find that it's easier to go there first, see what looks best, then take it home and plan a weekly menu around it. I bought 2 baskets of zucchini, so I began to brainstorm some meal ideas. This simple dish was easily put together with only pantry staples, it's flavorful, cheap and easy to make. While I'm sure it would taste great fried, I actually preferred the baked version. For the aioli, I used Greek Yogurt rather than mayo, and I think it tasted better than the mayo version. The tang of the yogurt replaced the need for mayo + vinegar in the aioli, and it gave a punch of additional protein to the dish.

Crunchy Baked Zucchini Planks with Garlic-Lemon Aioli
inspired by Maggiano's 

3 medium zucchini
1/2 c. unbleached AP Flour
1 egg + 2 tbsp. water
1 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, grated
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c. plain 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt
Salt and white pepper
Minced parsley

Wash zucchini, slice off ends. Slice into 1/4" thin strips.
Line a colander with tea towels, lay zucchini slices in colander, salt, and add another towel on top, repeating the process until all zucchini are salted and covered. 
Place a bowl inside to press zucchini and set aside for 30 minutes.
(This step isn't necessary, but will keep zucchini extra crisp and less mushy when cooked)

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice and zest, yogurt, salt and pepper. 
Taste, add more salt and pepper if necessary. 
Add minced parsley, about 1 tsp. 
Cover and place in the refrigerator. 

Lay 3 shallow bowls out on the counter and a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. 
In the bowl closest to the baking sheet, toss together breadcrumbs.
In the center bowl, crack the egg and whisk in water and 2 tbsp. flour, salt and pepper.
In the farthest bowl, pour in the remaining flour. 
Preheat the oven to 425*
Wipe down the excess moisture from zucchini slices, dredge in flour, then dip in egg, and press into the breadcrumbs. 
Place on the baking sheet and repeat until all zucchini is coated.
Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. 

Place planks on a platter and serve with aioli in a dish on the side. 





10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yum! These look great! I'm always looking for a way to get my husband to eat more veggies and this looks like a delicious recipe.

Katarina said...

Yummy! Looks delicious!

Snehal said...

Hi,

I really enjoyed reading your blog. I'm a vegetarian and love to dress up my veggies differently. This dish looks delicious. I especially like your substitutes for frying and mayo! I always try to get my way around frying so this is perfect.

I've planted zucchini and will try this out when I can reap some.

Snehal
http://veggiemania.blogspot.com/

Tasha said...

I do the same thing, select my veggies from the produce market with abandon and figure out afterwards what I want to do with them. This was an awesome choice, and one I am eager to try soon.

Joanne said...

Mmm Maggianos! There's one in Boston and yeah, Ive totally ordered that app platter before. And also totally swooned over those zucchini. Yay for recreating the recipe!

Ellen said...

yum! these look lovely... I will have to try asap :)

Bree said...

I will have to try this!


http://artofbeingcool.blogspot.com/

Stephanie said...

Oh these look divine!!! Thanks so much for sharing because I love ordering fried zucchini when we go out, but I am terrified of frying in my own kitchen!

Anonymous said...

Yum! Love the blog, keep up the good work!

http://www.TheVegSpace.wordpress.com

VegeCooking Club said...

I have a ton of summer squash that I bet would be just as good!