Celebrate zucchini season with this golden, moreish Italian classic

Abruzzo-born Vincenzo Prosperi and his wife, Suzanne – who grew up immersed in her family’s third-generation Calabrese traditions – didn’t set out to become global food ambassadors.

Their YouTube channel, Vincenzo’s Plate, began in 2014 as a simple project to share the authentic recipes they both grew up eating.

“Before we knew it, we were filling our days filming recipes we’ve been eating since we were young, sharing cuisine from Abruzzo and Calabria with the world,” they write in their debut cookbook, Authentic Italian: A Feast of Italian Recipes from the Vincenzo’s Plate Family.

The book marks the logical next step in their mission to protect the soul of Italian cooking through the tradition of cucina povera (the “poor kitchen”), which allows simple ingredients to shine.

Central to their cooking is a respect for the calendar. “Eating with the seasons isn’t just about using the freshest produce; it’s about honouring what the earth gives us naturally throughout the year,” they say.

Embracing that philosophy, this recipe features zucchini, which are at their best right now.

Frittelle di zucchine (zucchini fritters)

These bite-sized pieces of fried zucchini goodness are made in several regions and are also known as pitteri in my family. This scrumptious recipe is from my mamma, Maria, whose parents hail from Calabria. They immigrated to Australia many years ago, bringing with them a legacy of southern Italian recipes that they faithfully prepared for their table every day.

Mamma is by far the queen of zucchini fritters in our family, and her recipe went viral on social media when Vincenzo first posted it years ago, amassing millions of views … and honestly, it’s no wonder. Everyone in our family loves them!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 medium zucchini, finely grated
• table salt
• 5 eggs
• pepper
• 3 heaped tbsp self-raising (rising) flour
• 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 5 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano, plus extra for sprinkling
• olive oil, for frying

METHOD

1. Place the zucchini in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and leave for at least 10 minutes. Working with a handful at a time, squeeze the zucchini over the sink, pressing firmly between both hands to remove as much liquid as possible before transferring to a clean bowl.
2. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk well. Add salt and pepper and mix again. Mix in both flours and the pecorino, then transfer the mixture to the bowl of zucchini and combine.
3. Drizzle enough oil into a frying pan to shallow-fry the fritters and place it over medium heat. Once hot, turn the temperature down slightly so the oil doesn’t burn before you begin frying.
4. Working in batches, scoop out heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture and gently drop them into the oil, leaving enough space between each one. Fry for just over a minute per side, or until golden brown. The exact timing will depend on the size of your fritters and the heat of your oil.
5. It’s a good idea to taste the first one to make sure the centre is cooked through and not runny; if needed, lower the heat and fry them a little longer. As they finish, transfer the fritters to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
6. To serve, arrange on a large platter and sprinkle with extra pecorino. Don’t miss this step – the saltiness of the cheese balances out the flavour.

Serves 8 as a side

Mamma Maria’s tips

• When preparing the zucchini, squeeze out as much of the water as possible. You’ll likely need to do this more than once for each handful to release all the liquid. Use a muslin (cheesecloth) if you have one.
• For even cooking, try to make all the fritters roughly the same size. But remember, the beauty of home-made cooking is that no two will ever be the same, so don’t try too hard.
• While I use olive oil for cooking these, extra virgin olive oil also works.
• Cook the fritters in batches to ensure they fry evenly and the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much.

This is an edited extract from Authentic Italian: A Feast of Italian Recipes from the Vincenzo’s Plate Family, by Vincenzo and Suzanne Prosperi. Photography by Effi Tsoukatos. Published by HarperCollins. RRP $39.99.