If you've got the time and inclination, courgette (or zucchini) fritters are the perfect thing to serve with drinks, and especially with a Dry Martini. I find it best to use baby courgettes, so that you end up with fritters the size of a small coin. Slice the courgettes very thinly, put them into a colander, and then sprinkle them with salt. The salt will draw out the water. You will be amazed by how much water drains off.
Next, beat an egg white until frothy, and dip the courgette slices into the egg white, shake off the excess, and then dip them again into flour, which you have previously seasoned with salt and black pepper. In a deep-fat fryer, heat some peanut oil to about 375 F (190 C). If you don't have a fryer, use a wok. Nut oil burns at a higher temperature, and so is an excellent choice for this sort of operation.
Drop the courgettes into the oil, a few at a time, until they are crisp. Watch them like a hawk, so that they don't burn. Incidentally, when frying, it's always best never to overcrowd the pan; if you do, you run the risk that your food may steam or boil, which, of course, is a different technique all together.
Drain the fritters on kitchen paper, and sprinkle them with more salt and pepper. Okay, this means that your fritters are going to pretty salty, but I think that, in this case, it provides a perfect balance with the dry oiliness (is that a word?) of a classic Martini cocktail.
