Zucchini Fritters

I finally got around to making zucchini fritters which I've wanted to do since we have all this zucchini! I've never made them before and since they are fried - they must be good, huh? Go ahead and splurge! A delicious way to eat your vegetables (and get rid of some zucchini!) Depending on how large your zucchini are will determine how many fritters you'll get in a batch. I used 2 zucchini, one was sort of large but not real large and one was sort of small so if you use 2 medium zucchini, you'll probably get around 15 fritters.

Makes 15 fritters


1 pound zucchini or about 2 medium

1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus extra to taste

2 green onions, sliced thin

1 large egg, lightly beaten

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Oil for frying


To serve (optional)

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 -2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. lemon zest

pinches of salt

1 clove garlic, minced


1. Preheat oven of 200 degrees. Have baking sheet ready.


2. Trim ends off zucchini.

3. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater.

4. In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 tsp. Kosher salt and set aside for at least 10 minutes. This will release the juice so you can drain it to keep the fritters from being mushy.

5. Wring out the zucchini by pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time.

You'll be surprised how much liquid you'll get out of it!

6. Return zucchini to bowl and add more salt to taste ~ 1/4 tsp. more.


7. Stir in green onions, egg and some freshly ground pepper.

8. In a tiny dish, whisk together flour and baking powder.

9. Stir flour mixture into the zucchini.

10. In a heavy skillet - a cast iron works great- heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Drop small batches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet.

11. Lightly nudge them flatter with the back of the spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned.

12. Drain briefly on paper towels.

13. Transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping pan well-oiled, with remaining zucchini.

 

14. Bake 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.

15. For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic and adjust flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. I've also seen them served with a poached or fried egg on top. I actually like them just plain.


Enjoy!

These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for a week 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.