Garlic-Parmesan Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Savory, crispy, and flavorful patties - a delicious way to eat zucchini! Don't forget the dipping sauce for extra fun.

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini (2 medium)

• 1 tsp salt

Batter:

• 1 large egg

• 2 green onions, or 1 small sweet onion, finely sliced

• 1/4 cup parmesan , freshly grated

• 1 garlic clove , large, minced

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• Pinch of pepper

• 4 tbsp olive oil , separated

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, like basil & parsley

For Serving:

• Yogurt or sour cream

• Ketchup or tomato sauce

• Sriracha aioli - mix mayo, sour cream/greek yogurt, and sriracha to taste

Instructions

Zucchini:

Grate zucchini using a box grater. Grate on the diagonal so you get long strands.

Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix, then leave for 10 minutes+.

Squeeze out excess water using hands (or bundle up tea towel) then place zucchini in a bowl.

Batter:

Preheat oven to 200F (for keeping fritters warm). Place rack on tray (helps keep crispy)

Add egg, onions, parmesan and garlic into the zucchini bowl. Mix to combine.

Scatter over flour and baking powder (don’t dump in one spot), and add pinch of pepper. Mix until flour is just incorporated – batter should be thick but soft (see notes below.)

Cooking:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat (or medium if stove is strong). Drop 1/4 cup batter in the pan (ice cream scoop is perfect). Do 3 or 4 mounds.

Flatten lightly with spatula to about 1cm / 4/5″ thick.

Cook for 3 minutes until underside is deep golden (adjust heat if browning too quickly). Flip and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to tray and place in oven to keep warm.

Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and garnish of extra green onions if desired.

Recipe Notes:

1. Batter consistency is key to good fritters. If too runny, add a touch of extra flour (otherwise fritters soggy inside). If way too thick, add a touch of water. It does come down to how juicy / how well the water was removed from the zucchinis.

2. Adapted from this recipe https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-zucchini-fritters/

3. What it tastes like: Zucchini has a pretty neutral flavour so it’s not prominent in this recipe. It tastes savoury with a subtle hint of zucchini. Texture is key in this recipe – the golden crust is where much of the flavour is. The batter doesn’t need extra salt if you salt the zucchini + use parmesan. But if you skip the parmesan, add a pinch of salt into the batter.

4. Reheating – fritters are best served fresh. But to reheat leftovers, pop them on a rack in a stinking hot oven (480F) or as high as your oven will go for 5 minutes. OR pan fry lightly in a little oil to re-crisp and rewarm!