Jul 18

Written by: Frank Davis
7/18/2010 8:09 PM 

Chances are, every time you fix Italian cucuzza (that's those long baseball-bat-type Italian squashes) you smother 'em down in fresh tomatoes, lots of seasonings, acini pepe pasta and, probably, a couple pounds of peeled and deveined Louisiana shrimp.  But, while that is ass-kicking good. . .I got something mo' gooder for ya!  Pan Fried Cucuzza.  Good Gawd!

You peel the cucuzza, cut the length into about 6 inch pieces, remove the seeds with a melon baller, cut the remaining flesh into strips, dip 'em in an egg-milk-cornstarch mixture (actually, it's a eggwash), brine them for about 20 minutes in the sink, dip them in the eggwash, dredge them immediately in a pan of Italian bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese, then immediately drop them gently into a skillet containing extra virgin olive oil and a tad of peanut oil. 

All that's left is to fry them on medium high a few pieces at a time (until golden brown), remove them from the skillet, and set them on several thicknesses of paper towels to drain (actually, cucuzza pick up far less oil than eggplant or zucchini or yello squash, so the strips won't be greasy at all).  Then, as they come out of the hot oil and onto the towels, liberally--and I do mean liberally!--sprinkle them with Parmegianna Reggiano cheese so the cheese melts onto the strips.  

Now. . .pour a glass of chilled white wine, pull up a seat at the kitchen table, and chow down on some of the tastiest cucuzza to ever pass your Italian lips!  Fix some at your house and let me know what you think! ----Frank D