Crunchy Baked Zucchini with Garlic-Lemon Aioli

I've had my eye on this recipe for Crunchy Baked Zucchini with Garlic-Lemon Aioli for awhile now, but every time I planned to make it we were in the middle of a heat wave and I couldn't stand the thought of turning on the oven. This week has been a little cooler so I bought three huge zucchini at the farmers market.


These were delicious. SP was bummed that we didn't have horseradish sauce, since he says that's the perfect accompaniment to fried zucchini, but I loved the aioli. I love panko because even though these were baked instead of fried they still had a nice crunch. I combined two recipes, using the breading method from So Tasty, So Yummy and the preparation and sauce from Veggie by Season.

Crunchy Baked Zucchini with Garlic-Lemon Aioli
Cobbled together from Veggie by Season and So Tasty, So Yummy

1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, plus water to thin
3 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Salt
Pepper
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2" chips
1 garlic clove, grated
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
5 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
Salt and pepper
Minced parsley

Preheat oven to 425 and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Line a colander with paper towels. Place zucchini slices in colander, salt, and add another towel on top, repeating the process until all zucchini are salted and covered. Place a bowl inside to press zucchini and set aside for 30 minutes.

Place flour in a large plastic storage bag. Whisk eggs with water and place in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place zucchini in the bag with the flour and shake until well coated. Dip the zucchini into the egg and then into the panko, turning to coat well. Place breaded zucchini on the greased baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

While the zucchini are cooking, mix garlic, lemon juice and zest, yogurt, mayo salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper or lemon juice, if necessary. Add minced parsley, about 1 teaspoon. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.