KETO ZUCCHINI FRIES

Zucchinis are in season and I’m all about it. There are so many ways to use zucchinis as substitutes for our favorite carbs. One of the easiest and tastiest low carb swaps is zucchinis for potatoes to make fries. This recipe is for a side that feels like cheat day but your’e staying right on track.

Keto allows (and I dare say encourages) frying to get fat into meals. There are so many substitutes for regular flour that work–almond flour and coconut flour being the most popular. But I swear by pork rind crumbs. When I want a crunchy fried item, I use crumbled pork rinds every single time. They brown beautifully and are already salted so there is a ton of flavor. When the crumbles get wet with the egg wash, they make almost a dough like texture you can form a crust round the fry with that has even more crunch than the crumbles. Serve them alone with a dressing or aioli or along side wings as shown.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 zucchini
• 2 eggs or egg substitute equivalent
• 1 cup pork rind crumbles
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• salt, pepper, dried parsley to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the zucchini into fry shapes. I cut the zucchini in half first, then lengthwise and continued to cut until I had a pile of “fries” about the width of my index finger.
2. Prepare dredging station. Put whisked egg or egg substitute in a bowl and lightly season with salt and pepper (about half a tsp of each.) I prefer using egg substitute specifically for frying because I need eggs for baking and well, eating. Put pork rinds on a plate. You may need more, but start with less as this is expensive if you aren’t making your own crumbles. No need to waste.
3. Dip a zucchini fry in the seasoned egg mixture and roll into the pork rind crumbles until covered. Zucchinis are full of water and pork rinds are full of fat so it’s normal for there not to be full coating.
4. Slowly lower into heated oil in large pan. I like to shallow fry these to only the bottom and sides are covered. This helps the coating not float away and to save from oil waste. Keep on medium heat for frying so the coating crisps slowly and the zucchini inside softens.
5. Repeat without over crowding the pan.
6. Using tongs, turn each fry over until the coating is golden brown. When it’s golden brown rest on tissue paper to absorb excess oil.
7. Serve immediately for crispier fries. Letting them sit will wilt them a bit but they are still great.