Prepare the courgettes: Wash the courgettes and trim off the ends. Cut each courgette into sticks about 7 cm long and 1 cm thick. You want them uniform so they cook evenly. Pat them dry with a clean tea towel — this is crucial because excess moisture will make the breading slide off. The courgettes should feel dry to the touch, not slippery.

Set up your breading station: In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly frothy. In a separate shallow dish, combine the almond flour, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork until everything looks evenly distributed — you should see no white patches of unmixed almond flour.

Bread the courgette sticks: Working with a few sticks at a time, dip them into the egg wash. Let any excess drip off for a second or two — you want a thin coating, not a dripping mess. Transfer them to the almond flour mixture and toss gently until each stick is completely coated. The coating should look like a sandy, golden crust clinging to every side. Place the breaded sticks on a plate or tray in a single layer.

Preheat the air fryer: Set your air fryer to 200°C and let it preheat for 3 minutes. While it heats, spray the air fryer basket lightly with olive oil spray. This stops the fries from sticking and helps them brown.

Arrange the fries in the basket: Place the breaded courgette sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Do not overcrowd — they need space for hot air to circulate. If necessary, cook in two batches. Lightly spray the tops of the fries with more olive oil spray. This step is what gives them that deep golden colour rather than a pale, dusty look.

Air fry the first side: Cook at 200°C for 6 minutes. At the 4-minute mark, you should hear a faint sizzling sound — that's the moisture cooking off and the coating crisping up. The fries will start to look golden on the edges.

Flip and finish cooking: Carefully flip each fry using tongs. They should be firm enough to hold their shape but still tender inside. Spray the flipped side lightly with olive oil. Air fry for another 5–6 minutes, until the fries are deep golden brown and feel crisp when you gently shake the basket. The smell at this point is nutty and savoury — that's the almond flour and Parmesan working together.

Rest and serve: Remove the fries from the basket and let them rest on a wire rack for 2 minutes. This keeps them crisp rather than steaming on a plate. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you like, and serve immediately while they're still hot and crunchy.