Zucchini 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

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Have a baking sheet ready.

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or preferably, 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: 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. 

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, around 1/4 teaspoon more.. Stir in scallions, egg, and some freshly ground black pepper. In a small dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the flour mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet, 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 a spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If this is 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. Fritters should have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.

Sour Cream Topping:

For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, and salt, and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. 

(These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. To use, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 F oven until they’re hot and crisp again.)

Makes about 8 to 10 2-1/2 inch fritters

From Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Simply Recipes, with minor changes

Wild Rice and Parsnip Fritters

150 g (5 ounces) cooked wehani rice  (about 100 g (3 ½ ounces) raw rice)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon fennel seeds                                                           

120 g (4 ounces) parsnip, grated (about 1 fat one) 

3 eggs                                                                             

50 mls milk  (almost 1/4 cup)                                                                 

50 mls yogurt     (almost 1/4 cup)

100 g (3 ½ ounces) flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon dried dill                                                                               

1 teasoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Chopped parsley, fresh dill, or fennel

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cook rice in rice cooker.  (Alternately, add water in a 2:1 ratio to rice (a bit less than a cup of water, or 200 mls, to 100 g rice) in a heavy saucepan.   Bring them to a boil together then simmer, covered, for 50-60 minutes at a very low heat.  Ideally, all the water will be gone and the rice will be perfectly cooked.)

Cook the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds in a little oil for a few minutes, then add the grated parsnip and continue cooking for a few minutes more, but don’t allow the parsnip to cook more than a little. 

Whisk the eggs, milk, and yogurt together, then whisk these into the flour with the nutmeg, dill, and mustard, to get a thick batter.  Stir in the cooked vegetables and the cooked wild rice.  Season well with salt and pepper, and add chopped parsley, dill, or fennel as desired. 

Add the baking powder just before beginning to fry the fritters.

In a wide frying pan, heat oil to a low, steady temperature, then drop in tablespoons of the batter – as many as the pan will take, as they won’t spread.  Cook for a few minutes, then flip each one over to cook the other side. You may need to flip them a few times, until they are lightly browned and firm to the touch.  They should take about 8 minutes to cook through.  Keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven will frying the remainder.  

Serves 4.

From The Cafe Paradiso Cookbook by Denis Cotter

Leek Fritters with Garlic Lemon Cream

Leek Fritters
2 pounds leeks (about 3 very large ones)
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more for pot
2 scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
Olive or vegetable oil, for frying

Garlic Lemon Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Few gratings of lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1 small garlic clove, minced or crushed

Trim the leeks, leaving only the white and pale-green parts.   Halve them lengthwise, and if they look dirty, plunge them into cold water and fan the layers to remove any dirt.  Slice the leeks crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are slightly softened but not limp.  Drain, and wring them out in a dish towel or piece of cheesecloth. 

Transfer the wrung-out leeks to a large bowl, and stir in the scallions.  In a small dish, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper.  Stir the dry ingredients into the leek mixture, then stir in the egg until the mixture is evenly coated.

Heat the oven to 250°F, and place a baking sheet covered in foil inside.  Stack a few paper towels on a large plate.  In a large, heavy (cast iron, if possible) skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until it shimmers.  Drop small bunches of the leek 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 a spatula.  Cook the fritters until they are golden underneath, about 3 minutes.  Flip fritters, and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side.

Drain the fritters on paper towels, and place on foil-covered baking sheet, and transfer them to warm oven while you make the remaining fritters.  Leave in oven for about 10 minutes.

Whisk together garlic lemon cream ingredients until smooth.  Dollop on each fritter before serving. 


From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman