Over the past 10 months, I’ve done a lot of cooking. I think I’m up to 130 different recipes prepared over that time. I’d say I’ve been happy with a good majority of them. Just yesterday, I told you about how I was licking my lips as I ate some Cornbread Supreme. That was a very good dish.
I just finished making a recipe that Laura found in our local Hannaford “Fresh” magazine. This magazine costs $3 if you spend under $25 and it’s free if you spend over $25. So basically, everyone gets it for free. I have to tell you, Hannaford really does a nice job with the recipes they share in this free magazine. It’s where I pulled today’s recipe from.
The Recipe
The reason I mentioned that I made some really great recipes since I started this blog is because it has to do with today’s. These zucchini and fritters are incredible. They’re up there with the best of them. And I’m not just saying that. After I was finished cooking just about an hour ago, I took a bite to see what I had created. I tasted something that was bursting with flavor. Bursting! It’s not often I use that word.
The dish is simple enough to put together. After you remove most of the water from the zucchini, you simply mix it with the remaining ingredients, divide the batter up, make some patties and cook them like pancakes. They’re perfect on bread or a roll, or even in a wrap. That’s how Laura and I just ate a few of them – in wraps loaded with very sweet sliced tomatoes from the garden. Oh, the flavor.
Ingredients
Makes: Approximately 12 Fritters
1 Large Zucchini, Shredded Coarsely
Regular Table Salt
Regular Olive Oil
6 Ounces Feta Cheese, Crumbled
1 Tablespoon Dried Mint
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
3 Large Eggs
Step-by-Step Instructions
I do want to mention that I modified this recipe, so it’s slightly different than the one Hannaford offered. I altered the quantities of a few things and changed the fresh mint to dried. I also switched out the fresh lemon zest to lemon juice. Basically, I wanted to make the recipe more “average” kitchen friendly. Personally, I’m getting a bit tired of buying entire lemons for only 1/4 teaspoon of lemon zest.
Remove Excess Liquid From Zucchini
I was very impressed with the amount of liquid I was able to remove from the shredded zucchini. Here’s how I did it: I added 1 teaspoon of regular table salt to the large bowl of shredded zucchini.
I then mixed it in very well. I let the bowl sit for about 10 minutes and when I returned to it, the entire lower portion of zucchini was submerged. I put some of the zucchini in my hands and squeezed, as if I were squeezing a baseball. When most of the liquid had been removed, I put the ingredient into another bowl. I did this until all of it was wrung out. Then, I placed it back into the original bowl.
Add Ingredients to Bowl
Next, I added all the ingredients to a large bowl.
Combine Ingredients
And then I mixed everything together well so it was all combined.
You may have to use more or less in the department of breadcrumbs. The consistency should be something like what I have in the above photo. Sort of like meatballs.
Cook the Fritters
Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan to start. Wait until the oil shimmers and then begin adding formed patties to the pan. I was able to fit 4 in at a time. I measured each one to be approximately 1/4 cup. I formed them with my hands and then gave a few pushes with the back of the spatula once they were in the skillet. They measured about 3 inches across.
I cooked each fritter for about 3 minutes per side and when I saw that there was a nice crispy brown on each of them, I removed them from the skillet and started with new ones. I added more oil as needed. I didn’t want the pan to dry out.
The Final Fritter
The salted zucchini combined with the spices, herbs and feta makes a fritter that’s out of this world. You can add them as a side to some scrambled eggs or an omelet. You can even, as I mentioned above, make some sort of a sandwich out of them. Really, the sky’s the limit. They are perfect.
Leave a Reply