Diya's Food Diaries

Zucchini Oven Fries

Ingredients
Several zucchini
1 egg white
Salt
Dry bread crumbs
Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese

Instructions
Separate the egg and discard the yolk. (You may use the whole egg if you prefer.) Place the egg white in a pie plate or shallow bowl; add a pinch of salt and beat lightly with a fork. Set aside.
In another shallow bowl or pie plate, place some dry bread crumbs, and about half as much Parmesan cheese. Unless you're feeding an army, you won't need a lot. I generally start with 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and a 1/4 cup of Parmesan. You can add a shake of salt and dry herbs such as basil or oregano if you like. Set this mixture aside as well.
Cut the zucchini into similar-size pieces or wedges. The coating doesn't adhere as well to the smooth skin as it does to the more porous zucchini itself so I usually trim off a bit of the skin on each side before slicing. If you're short on time”or don't really care about how much coating adheres, you can skip trimming the skin.
Dip each slice or wedge first into the egg white and then into the crumbs. Lay the pieces on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the pan in a preheated 400° F (200° C) oven for about 15-20 minutes. Use a spatula to turn them over halfway through the baking time. Depending on your oven, you may also need to switch the baking pans halfway through the baking time: move the one on the top shelf to the bottom and vice versa.
We enjoy them "as is" with perhaps a bit more salt. You can also dip them in a marinara sauce. With such a high water content in the zucchini, they will get limp after setting so don't try to prepare them ahead.