zucchini fritters
AUGUST 25, 2011
zucchini Fritters
Adapted a bit from Simply Recipes
Yield: About 10 2 1/2 inch fritters
1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying
To serve (optional}
1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/ 4 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinches of salt
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready.
Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the
shredding blade of a food processor. The latter is my favorite as I’m convinced it creates the coarsest and most ropelike
strands and frankly, I like my fritters to look like mops.
In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one
of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing
out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. You’ll
be shocked (I was!) by the amount of liquid you’ll lose, but this is a good thing as it will save the fritters from
sogginess.
Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and if you think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses
down the drain), add a little bit more; we found 1/4 teaspoon more just right. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly
ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini
batter.
In a large heavy skillet – cast iron is dreamy here – heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until
shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become
crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat
until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat
to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes
more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat
process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. I like to make sure that the fritters have at least 10
minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.
For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic and adjust the flavors to yo,
taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. These fritters are also delicious with a poached or fried egg on top, trm
me.
Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a wellsealed
package for months. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree ovi
until they’re hot and crisp again.
FIRST PUBLISHED AUGUST 25, 2011 ON SMITTEN KITCHEN.COM I ©2009-2017 SMITTEN KITCHEN.
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