Zucchini Fritters

Name: Zucchini Fritters
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Eastern Mediterranean-inspired
Ingredients: 600 g (1⅓ lb) zucchini, about 3 medium, coarsely grated; 5 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt; 4 scallions, thinly sliced; 100 g (3½ oz) feta, crumbled; 10 g (⅓ cup) dill, chopped; 5 g (3 tbsp) mint leaves, chopped; 1 lemon, zest only; wedges to serve; 2 eggs, beaten; 70 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour; ½ tsp baking powder; black pepper; 100 ml (scant ½ cup) olive or neutral oil, for shallow frying; 200 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) tzatziki or garlicky yogurt, Tzatziki

Crisp, herby fritters with feta, served with a garlicky yogurt

Makes: about 12 fritters
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Level: Easy

Inspired by Turkish mücver and Greek kolokithokeftedes, these fritters are mostly zucchini, bound with a little egg and flour and lifted with feta, scallions, dill and mint. Salting and squeezing the grated zucchini is non-negotiable: it is the difference between crisp fritters and soggy pancakes.

Ingredients

Fritters

600 gzucchini (1⅓ lb)about 3 medium, coarsely grated
5 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)
4scallionsthinly sliced
100 gfeta (3½ oz)crumbled
10 gdill (⅓ cup)chopped
5 gmint leaves (3 tbsp)chopped
1lemonzest only; wedges to serve
2eggsbeaten
70 gall-purpose flour (½ cup + 1 tbsp)
½ tspbaking powder
black pepper
100 mlolive or neutral oil (scant ½ cup)for shallow frying

To serve

200 gtzatziki or garlicky yogurt (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)Tzatziki

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean-inspired
Season: Summer

Method

Toss the grated zucchini with the salt in a colander and leave 15 minutes. 15 min
Squeeze the zucchini hard, a handful at a time or wrapped in a clean towel, until you've removed as much liquid as possible — easily 150 ml or more.
In a bowl, mix the zucchini, scallions, feta, herbs, lemon zest, eggs and pepper. Sprinkle over the flour and baking powder and stir just until combined; it should be a thick, sticky batter.
Heat 5 mm oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of batter sizzles immediately.
Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the pan, flattening each to about 1 cm thick. Fry in batches without crowding until deep golden and crisp, 3 minutes per side. 6 min
Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest, adding oil as needed. 12 min
Serve hot with tzatziki and lemon wedges.

Why it works

Zucchini is about 95% water; salting draws it out and squeezing removes it, so the batter isn't diluted and the fritters fry crisp instead of steaming. A modest amount of flour and egg is enough to bind without making them cakey, and baking powder keeps them light.

Common mistakes

Skipping the squeeze: the fritters turn soggy and fall apart.
Oil not hot enough: they absorb grease. Test with a drop first.
Making them too thick: the center stays raw. Flatten to about 1 cm.

Variations

Gluten-free: Replace the flour with 60 g chickpea flour.

Make ahead and storage

Fried fritters keep 2 days; reheat on a rack in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8 minutes. They freeze for 1 month.