It’s that time of year where our zucchini plants are most
prolific and I try to find innovative ways to prepare our bounty of squash. I
make noodles out of them with my mandoline and serve with a warm pasta sauce or
cold with an Asian-flavored sauce, bake loaves of zucchini bread, and make a quick
zucchini/green bean salad. I add them to chili, grill them on the barbeque, and
slice them into salads. But I needed something more.
This led me to zucchini fritters and I have been trying out
different recipes the last few weeks. My favorite is one from Bon Appetit (July 2013). The recipe
itself is solid and needed no adjustment, but my one change was swapping out
the soy dipping sauce. I prefer a creamy sauce, one that utilizes our lemons
and makes the fritter look more like a potato pancake when dressed. I’ll
include both sauce recipes below so you can choose which you prefer. I am
thinking these might even be good in a smaller version, served as an appetizer.
The recipe was easy enough and preparation and cooking time were
minimal. The majority of the time was spent draining the zucchini of excess
water. While you can use a standard cheese grater for the zucchini, I highly
recommend using a food processor or mandoline to grate the zucchini, as you
tend to get better strands.
The fritters fried up quickly in a minimal amount of oil and
can be kept warm in the oven as you finish the batch. Do not crowd the
fritters. Most skillets will accommodate 4-5 fritters at a time, and you will
need to make at least 2 batches.
Zucchini Fritters
1 1/2
pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), grated
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1 large
egg
1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
3
tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1
tablespoon cornstarch
Freshly
ground black pepper
1/3 cup
vegetable oil
Place grated
zucchini in a colander set in the sink and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let
stand for 10-15 minutes, then wring zucchini dry in a clean kitchen towel.
Place zucchini in a large bowl and gently mix in egg, flour, chives, and
cornstarch; season with salt and pepper.
Heat
oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1/4-cupfuls of zucchini mixture
into skillet, flattening slightly; cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes
per side. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate; season with salt. Repeat
as needed.
Note: Fritters
can be made 30 minutes ahead. Keep warm in a 200° oven.
Lemon-Garlic Sauce
1 cup
sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1
tablespoon lemon zest
2
tablespoons lemon juice
2
garlic cloves, minced
1/2
teaspoon seasoning salt
Mix all
ingredients in small bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow
flavors to meld.
Soy Dipping Sauce
3
tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1
tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2
teaspoons sugar
Crushed
red pepper flakes
Mix
vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small bowl
until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.