Zucchini Fritters with Bright Tomato Sauce
By Sarah GabrielPublished on June 3, 2014
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Makes 12 Fritters
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice1 teaspoon packed brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoesFRITTERS
1 ½ pounds zucchini 1 ½ teaspoons salt 6 tablespoons cornstarch 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 ½ cups)1 large egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons minced fresh mint 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon pepper ¼ cup vegetable oil, for fryingBefore You Begin
We prefer to use young, small zucchini—about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. If you use larger zucchini, you may drain off more liquid in step 2.
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Add scallion whites and salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in orange juice and sugar and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and orange zest and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens, cover, and keep warm.
- Line large bowl with clean dish towel. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater into prepared bowl. Stir in salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Gather ends of towel to form bundle and twist to squeeze zucchini as dry as possible (you should squeeze off about 1 cup liquid). Discard liquid and return zucchini to bowl (without towel). Stir cornstarch into zucchini until fully incorporated. Stir in feta, egg, mint, dill, garlic, and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop 6 scant 1/4-cup portions of batter into pan. Gently press each fritter to 2 1/2-inch diameter using back of spoon or rubber spatula. Cook until well browned and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels, 30 seconds per side, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining batter. Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the fritters
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Makes 12 FrittersIngredients
SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
FRITTERS
1 ½ pounds zucchini
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 ½ cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
FRITTERS
1 ½ pounds zucchini
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 ½ cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
FRITTERS
1 ½ pounds zucchini
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons cornstarch
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 ½ cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Why This Recipe Works
Zucchini is a notoriously waterlogged vegetable, so trying to make a crispy fritter out of it was a challenge. To solve the problem, we salted shredded zucchini to begin the water extraction process and then squeezed the lot of it as dry as possible in a dish towel. To mitigate even more moisture, we added cornstarch to our batter, along with feta cheese, eggs, and fresh herbs for seasoning. To fry the fritters, we used a hefty amount of vegetable oil in a hot, nonstick skillet; this got the exterior nice and crispy. What we ended up with was a delicious pancake-like fritter that was crunchy on the outside and tender and flavorful on the inside.
Before You Begin
We prefer to use young, small zucchini—about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. If you use larger zucchini, you may drain off more liquid in step 2.
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Add scallion whites and salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in orange juice and sugar and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and orange zest and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens, cover, and keep warm.
- Line large bowl with clean dish towel. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater into prepared bowl. Stir in salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Gather ends of towel to form bundle and twist to squeeze zucchini as dry as possible (you should squeeze off about 1 cup liquid). Discard liquid and return zucchini to bowl (without towel). Stir cornstarch into zucchini until fully incorporated. Stir in feta, egg, mint, dill, garlic, and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop 6 scant 1/4-cup portions of batter into pan. Gently press each fritter to 2 1/2-inch diameter using back of spoon or rubber spatula. Cook until well browned and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels, 30 seconds per side, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining batter. Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the fritters
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