Fritters always remind me of my paternal grandmother. When I was a kid, she’d make a killer corn and zucchini version that I’d gobble up by the half dozen, slathering them with sour cream. These savory little pancakes build on her legacy, with a few adjustments. For one, I’ve traded sour cream for a citrusy avocado dipping sauce. It’s ridiculously smooth—almost like cake frosting—and just tart enough to cut through the richness of the fried veg. The trick to extra-crisp patties is to remove as much moisture as possible from the grated zucchini before cooking.
Recipes
Sides:
Zucchini and Feta Fritters With Avocado Cream
Ingredients for Zucchini Feta Fritters
2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound/ 455 g total), coarsely grated
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
½ cup (25 g) lightly packed fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup (13 g) chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
⅓ cup (75 ml) all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
¾ cup (115 g) crumbled Bulgarian feta
¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Avocado cream, for serving
Directions
Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle it with a good pinch of salt, then twist the towel to squeeze out excess water. Twist two to three times to remove as much water as possible. Turn the zucchini into a large bowl and mix with the scallions, parsley, dill, egg, and egg yolk. Add the four, stirring slowly so that no lumps form. Season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, heat about half of the canola and half of the olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, drop ¼ cupfuls (20 g) of the zucchini mixture into the pan, leaving about 2 inches between each fritter. Fry until golden and crisp, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining mixture, adding additional oil as needed.
Serve the fritters sprinkled with flaky sea salt, thinly sliced scallions, and chopped dill, with the avocado cream on the side.
Avocado Cream
If you want to make this dip in advance, top it with a very thin layer of water, cover it with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge. The water will prevent browning for 1 to 2 days.
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados, flesh roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 juicy limes)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
In a mini food processor, blend all of the ingredients until they’re smooth and creamy, with a silky, yogurt-like consistency.
Swoon Tip
Rather than transferring these golden morsels to a proper platter—which will leave their undersides a soggy mess—offer them to guests straight from the fryer via a wire cooling rack. The geometric grid makes for an unexpected visual composition, and nothing else will keep them as beautifully crisp.
