Parmesan Courgette Crisps

📝 Ingredients

• 2 courgettes (about 250 g each)
• ½ tsp fine salt (to draw out the moisture)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 40 g finely grated parmesan
• Black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Mandoline or very sharp knife
• Colander
• 2 clean tea towels
• 2 baking trays
• Baking paper
• Pastry brush

📖 Steps

1. Wash the courgettes, trim the ends and slice them into very even rounds 2 to 3 mm thick, ideally with a mandoline (always use the hand guard to protect your fingers). Uneven slices cook badly: the thin ones burn while the thick ones stay soft.
2. Put the slices in a colander, sprinkle with the fine salt, tossing with your hands, and leave them to drain for 20 min over the sink: they will release a lot of water, and that's what will make them crisp.
3. Preheat the oven to 130 °C (fan if possible). Spread the slices in a single layer on a clean tea towel, lay the second tea towel on top and press firmly to dry them as much as possible. Do not rinse them.
4. Line the two baking trays with baking paper and arrange the slices side by side without overlapping. Lightly brush them with oil, then sprinkle with herbes de Provence, garlic powder and a grind of pepper. Do not add more salt.
5. Bake for 50 min to 1 hour, swapping the trays halfway through, until the slices have shrunk well, feel dry to the touch and are starting to brown at the edges.
6. Take out the trays, sprinkle each slice with a pinch of Parmesan and return to the oven for 20 to 30 min, until the cheese is melted and golden. Keep an eye on them from 20 min: the thinnest ones brown faster, so remove each one as soon as it's ready.
7. Turn off the oven and leave the crisps inside for 10 min with the door ajar, then let them cool completely on the tray: they crisp up as they cool. If some are still soft, return them to the oven for 10 min.