Greek Fried Pumpkin
Slices of pumpkin coated with flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free adaptable) and shallow-fried until they achieve the perfect balance of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Then, they're combined with rosemary and white wine vinegar, which imparts a savory and luxuriously rich flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) peeled pumpkin or winter squash, cut into 2”x½” (5 cm x 1 cm) sticks
- ¼ cup 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅛ cup 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin on a deep plate or bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt. Toss with your hands to coat the pumpkin evenly with salt. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Drain off the liquid (water) if any from the pumpkin, add the flour or the cornstarch, and toss to coat completely.
- Prepare a large plate or platter and top it with a few layers of paper towels.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Shake gently the coated pumpkin to remove excess flour and add it to the skillet. Don't overcrowd the skillet.
- Cook one side until the bottom turns crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pumpkin to cook the other side, for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns crispy throughout and cooked through.
- Turn off the heat. Transfer the cooked pumpkin using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer to the prepared plate (or platter) to drain the excess oil.
- Add the rosemary for 1-2 minutes and remove. The longer you leave it, the more intense the rosemary's flavor.
- Turn off the heat (if you haven't already done it). Pour in GRADUALLY the white wine vinegar. Be EXTREMELY CAREFUL for potential burns.*
- When steam and splatters are settled, turn the heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until the liquid has evaporated to the preferred consistency.
- Add the fried pumpkin back to the pan. Stir everything together for 1 minute, or until the pumpkin pieces are evenly coated with the olive oil-vinegar sauce. Transfer to a plate immediately.
- Serve hot or cold. It gets even better the following day.
Notes
The sudden release of steam can cause the hot oil to splatter violently, potentially causing burns or other injuries. Please follow all my instructions for this recipe step and be extremely careful.
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