Felicity Cloake’s courgette fritti . Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Loïc Parisot. View image in fullscreen Felicity Cloake’s courgette fritti . Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian. Food styling: Loïc Parisot. Felicity Cloake's masterclass Food How to make courgette fritti – recipe If you’re craving a carby heap of fried spuds, these aren’t for you, but if you’re after crisp, juicy veg, they make the perfect snack alongside a punchy dip
Felicity Cloake Sun 21 Jun 2026 14.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google T hese are not chips. If you’re hankering after a fluffy, carby heap of fried potato, I’ll be honest, these courgette numbers probably won’t cut the mustard. If, however, you like the idea of hot, crisp, juicy veg, then you’re in luck. As well as a vegetable side, these make a fantastic snack with drinks, particularly when paired with a hot sauce or punchy dip.
Prep 15 min Salt 30 min+ Cook 15 min Serves 8 as a side
2 medium courgettes Salt 150g plain flour 2 egg whites Light olive or neutral oil
View image in fullscreen You can use just about any size of courgette or other summer squash for this, but do bear in mind that the bigger the fruit, the more seeds it will contain, so consider using a teaspoon to scrape out the watery core of larger courgettes and marrows, because the steam those seeds give off during cooking may turn the batter soggy.
Having tested various shapes, I found that the thinner the cut, the crisper the outsides, though at the expense of the juicy centre. Chunky matchsticks seem to me the best compromise, but you might like to cut yours into bigger batons for easier dipping. If using a rounder squash such as a pattypan, half-moons also work well.
View image in fullscreen Trim the ends off the courgettes, then cut each one in half lengthways. Stand one on its wider end and carefully slice down into roughly 5mm-thick pieces (use a mandoline to do this, if you have one). Stack the slices on top of each other, cut into matchsticks, and repeat with the remaining courgette.
View image in fullscreen Toss the matchsticks with a fairly generous sprinkling of salt, then put them in a colander or sieve set over a bowl or sink and leave to drain for about 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you’re pressed for time, though it does draw out the water, making for a crisper finish; it also seasons the courgettes from the inside out.
View image in fullscreen Meanwhile, put the flour (a gluten-free variety will also work just fine here) in a wide, shallow dish, then stir in enough lukewarm water (probably about 250ml) to make a batter with the consistency of double cream (for non-UK readers, a thick but pourable liquid). Season lightly and rest for 20 minutes, if you have time.
View image in fullscreen Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk to stiff peaks (if you like, use the yolks to make a mayonnaise for dipping; any blender mayonnaise recipe will work). Stir a spoonful of the egg white mix into the batter to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest.
Fill a large, deep pan by a third with oil, then heat it to 170C (150C fan)/335F/gas 3½ (or use a deep-fat fryer set to the same temperature). Turn on the oven to low, and have ready an ovenproof tray lined with kitchen paper near the hob. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the salted courgettes, then tip them into a clean tea towel and rub as dry as possible.
View image in fullscreen When the oil is hot, drop a handfu…