Yield: 4 servings (about 2 fritters per person)
Time: 60 minutes (fritters only, make Labneh the day before)
Zucchini Fritters are served in cafés and bars in the Middle East as a quick bite, normally accompanied by either Labneh or a spicy tomato sauce. Instead of Labneh, I often use Greek or European-style thick yogurt.
Traditionally a part of a Mezze, it’s also an excellent side dish to poultry, lamb or fish. I love Mezze – prepared well its both a culinary and social delight. You take time eating and talking.
Ingredients:
Zucchini Fritters:
- 3 medium zucchinis, about 1 3/4 lbs, coarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 6 scallions, finely sliced
- 5 Tbsp flour
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 3 Tbsp flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- pepper, freshly grated
- olive oil for frying
- Use either Labneh or a Spicy Tomato Sauce.
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
- 9 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped coarsely
- salt and pepper to taste
Zucchini Fritters:
- 3 medium zucchinis, about 800 g, coarsely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 6 scallions, finely sliced
- 5 Tbsp flour
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 3 Tbsp flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
- 60 g crumbled feta cheese
- pepper, freshly grated
- olive oil for frying
- Use either Labneh or a Spicy Tomato Sauce.
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped
- 9 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped coarsely
- salt and pepper to taste
Chile, chili or chilli?
Chile with an “e” at the end is the correct spelling of the spicy red or green pepper in Spanish speaking countries and parts of the US. The plural is “chiles”. However in most parts of the US the term “chili” like in “Chili con Carne” is used for the peppers and the pepper powder. That’s confusing!
“Chile Powder” is the condiment containing only chiles, whereas “Chili Powder” is a spice mix. McCormick’s chili powder contains “chili peppers (the incorrect spelling), spices (no further details), salt, and silicon dioxide”. What I normally use are fresh or dried chiles, they give the best aroma. I might use chile powder once in a while, like the “Ancho Chile Pepper” powder from McCormick for Mexican or Tex-Mex seasonings. The ancho chile powder contains only dried ancho chile peppers and, like most condiment powders, silicon dioxide. This is an anticaking agent deemed harmless by the FDA, albeit the EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) recently raised concerns due to the use of nanoparticles.
The third version, “chilli,” is the spelling used in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and some other countries”.
In many countries the term “Red Pepper Flakes” is used for dried, crushed chile.
Labneh: You can buy it at specialty stores or make your own – the recipe can be found here. I normally use Greek or European-style thick yogurt.
Preparation:
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
In a saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and fry gently until the garlic is fragrant. Take care that garlic does not burn, it will become bitter. Add tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes fall apart. The sauce should still have nice chunks of tomatoes in it. Season with salt and add black pepper, if necessary.
Zucchini Fritters:
Put grated zucchini, salt, lemon zest and chopped scallions in a bowl. Mix well and let stand in a sieve for about 20-30 minutes to draw the zucchini juices out. In the meantime mix flour with the eggs. Add feta cheese and parsley. When 30 minutes are over, squeeze the grated zucchini mix with your hands to extract as much juice as possible. This will avoid that zucchini fritters break up due to excessive moisture in the mix. Add flour/feta mix to the zucchini. Do not add extra salt, as feta and the residual salt on the grated zucchini is enough. Add pepper, if you like. Mix well.
Warm olive oil over medium heat. Fry zucchini patties, dropping a tablespoon of the mixture into the frying pan – one at a time.
If you are not sure of the density of the zucchini mix, fry one patty first as a trial. If you notice that it will break when turned on the other side, add one more tablespoon of flour to the mix. Fry one more patty again. If still not satisfactory, add 1 another tablespoon of flour. You avoid disappointments when continuing to fry the rest of the fritters.
Flatten the top of the patties gently to obtain round pieces. Fry until bubbles start to appear on the top side. Do not overcrowd the frying pan. It will be difficult to turn the patties on the other side. Turn over and fry on the other side. Fritters should have a nice brown color on both sides and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
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