Sunday, August 10, 2014

Zucchini Fritters with Cool Lemon Yogurt Sauce


I've professed my love for fritters both here and here, yet I just don't think to cook them that often. It's a shame really, because I adore them, not to mention they're incredible quick to make, versatile, and filling! I really should make a mental note to make them more regularly. Will you help me remember? Thanks :)

These bad boys contain a few of my favorite things (ha! in the process of watching the Sound of Music for the first time...I couldn't help myself…it's currently intermission). Zucchini and arugula make my heart go pitter pat in the summer, I just love them both so much! Arugula and garlic weren't in the original recipe, but I thought a little extra green couldn't hurt, and who doesn't love garlic? I was right! The arugula added a bit of green peppery-ness that was wonderful and fresh, and paired with the cool lemon yogurt sauce? Heaven. Serve these with a small salad (or baked sweet potato like we did), along with some of fresh fruit, and you have one lovely summer lunch.


Zucchini Fritters

Notes: 
-when prepping the zucchini, squeeze as much water as possible out. You'll be surprised by how much water comes out of those suckers! It's crazy. 
-the original recipe for the yogurt sauce made a TON of sauce. We're not saucy people (heh), so I just used it as a guide and made significantly less, and just tasted as I went. Even still, I ended up with too much. I'll include the measurements below for proportions. Something to keep in mind!
-I used olive oil, but may try coconut oil next time, as it was a bit smokey. It wasn't a big deal, but I may experiment next time with and alternative.

Ingredients 

Fritters
1 pound (about 2 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1/4 cup arugula, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
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 you choice, for frying

Lemon Yogurt Sauce (see note above)
1 cup plain full-fat yogurt (can use Greek or regular, or sour cream)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinches of salt
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

Directions

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. 

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: press against the holes of a mesh strainer with a wooden spoon to extract the water, or wrap it up in a clean dish towel and wring the water out that way (I went with the latter).  This will save the fritters from  sogginess. 

Return deflated zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste if you think it could benefit from more salt (most went down the drain), add a little bit more if needed. Stir in scallions, arugula, garlic, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the batter.

In a large heavy skillet (cast iron always wins), 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 3-4 minutes. If you find this is happening too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2-3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat the process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. 

For the topping, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, zest, salt, and garlic, and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving.

Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for a better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. When you're ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they're hot and crisp again.

Recipe Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you think! :)

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