Zucchini Fritters
This is a great recipe for now AND later. Zucchini doesn’t freeze well for most other recipes, but if you shred it first and pop it in a freezer bag – they’ll make delicious fritters whenever you want! In fact, freezing helps pull out the water from the zucchini, so just drain them after defrosting and you’ll have even crispier fritters. You can also add in chopped herbs, parsley and mint go wonderfully, to liven it up – and if you’re feeling extra fancy, try topping it with a yogurt dip!
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs zucchini, grated (peel and all)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4cup all-purpose flour (a GF substitute also works well in this recipe)
1/4cup grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, beaten
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbsp of finely chopped herbs such as parsley and mint (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Place the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink. Toss with 1tsp of sea salt to coat thoroughly, then let it sit for 10-15minutes (this allows the salt to draw out the moisture from the zucchini). Place zucchini in a clean dish cloth, twist cloth closed, and gently squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible. Do this step even if using defrosted, drained zucchini – it will get out even more moisture for crispier zucchini!
In a large bowl, combine zucchini, flour, cheese, garlic, and egg, and herbs if using. Season with salt & pepper to taste, and mix well.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once oil is heated (sizzles when a droplet of water is tossed in), use a tablespoon (or larger, depending on the fritter size you prefer) to scoop out zucchini mixture and place gently in the oil, then flatten with a spatula. Cook until the edges are just turning golden, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side 1-2 more minutes, until both sides are a golden brown.
Remove from oil, place on a paper towel to drain oil for a minute, then serve immediately! (If you have leftovers, crisp them up again in the oven before serving)
Yogurt Dip
½ cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, chill before serving with fritters!