As you all already know, being a true Sicilian, I love to bread a little bit of everything, it’s in our DNA and we certainly can’t say no to it! Lately, however, I’ve discovered a love for breading! Yes indeed, I love to bread the most diverse things. Yesterday, I gave you a small taste by creating the legendary tomato cutlets that made a mark on social media! Today, I am using zucchini to apply the same basic concept, creating a vegetarian variant of the classic meat cutlet recipe with a mixture of grated zucchini and provolone brought by my mom directly from Calabria! Plus, these are special cutlets, because unlike the traditional egg batter, they are completely egg-free! And yet, we licked our lips! Crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside! Just like with the tomato cutlets, you can serve them with a fresh salad like I did, or offer them at an informal buffet by shaping them into medallions instead of elongated forms, and slightly smaller. You’ll make a great impression!
If you love vegetarian versions of classic meat cutlets, try these alternatives based on the seasonality of the available vegetables:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 20 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 cutlets
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1.1 lbs zucchini (about 3)
- 1.8 oz provolone (grated)
- 1.4 oz corn flour (fine)
- 1.4 oz breadcrumbs (+ as needed for breading)
- 2 tsps yellow mustard powder
- 1 tsp chives
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
Tools
- 1 Grater
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Dishcloth
- 1 Terrine
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
Steps
Start by washing and trimming the zucchini, then grate them with a coarse grater and transfer them to a bowl (fig. 1).
Add a pinch of salt, mix, and let rest for about 20′ (fig. 2).
After this time, they will have released some water, so transfer them inside a dry and clean dishcloth, preferably without fabric softeners or scents, and wring well to eliminate all residual water (fig. 3).
Transfer them to a large terrine, adjust the salt and add the chives, 1 teaspoon of mustard powder and the sweet paprika (fig. 4).
Add the corn flour, the breadcrumbs, and the grated provolone (fig. 5).
Mix until you obtain a homogeneous mixture (fig. 6).
With always wet hands, take a portion of this mixture and form your cutlets, compacting them well and giving them the preferred shape (fig. 7).
Then coat them with the breadcrumbs, previously flavored with turmeric and the remaining teaspoon of mustard (fig. 8).
Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or recyclable Teflon like I did and press them slightly with your hands (fig. 9).
Drizzle them with a generous amount of oil and place in a ventilated oven at 350°F for 25′, then turn them gently and activate the grill for another 5′ or until golden brown (fig. 10).
Turn off, remove from the oven, and serve slightly warm.
And voilà… your zucchini and provolone cutlets are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from FeFè’s Kitchen!
Storage
👉 You can store the zucchini and provolone cutlets in the fridge well covered for 1-2 days and then heat them in the oven for a few minutes until they regain their crunchiness! Or prepare them the day before, without cooking them, cover with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge until ready to cook and serve!
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* Fine corn flour (fumetto) is different from medium-grained (fioretto) and coarse-grained (bramata). Personally, I find it tastier and more consistent than regular flour. Moreover, for those with celiac disease, it will be perfect to add to the preparation instead of regular rice flour. However, if you don’t have these needs, you can substitute it with regular all-purpose flour. Remember, though, that its yield in terms of volume may vary compared to corn flour, so it might be necessary to adjust the liquid quantities in the recipe.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare a totally gluten-free version of this recipe?
Certainly, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for the breading or replace it with medium-grain corn flour (fioretto), which will give a crunchier finish.
