Crispy Zucchini-Feta Fritters
Friends! I am once again revived and inspired to get back into the kitchen. At least I was yesterday. Strangely enough, it was a zucchini that motivated me. Or several.
I know, I only used up one of my eggs. I hard-boiled a bunch, and froze some, and now I think I may have left the hard-boiled ones too long with nary an egg salad sandwich. How do you tell when a hard-boiled egg is bad? I have no idea.
But I do know now that I think I like these zucchini fritters, studded with bits of salty, oozy feta, better than potato latkes even. They’re crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and a great use of raw zucchini, which you’ll be grating to make chocolate cake anyway, right? (Note: if you happen to have one of those two foot long zucchinis to tackle, once you cut into it you’re committed. But good news: you can freeze raw grated zucchini to add to muffins, cakes, loaves, pancakes, soup – you name it.)
I had tossed the subject of zucchini out there on twitter, and Sarah suggested fritters made with cheddar. I had feta, which seemed appropriately Greek-y, and so I followed a little trail, from Smitten Kitchen to Simply Recipes to Martha, and then just sort of winged it.
If you like, grate a clove of garlic into a cup of sour cream, add a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and serve to dip or dollop over the fritters. Uh huh.
Crispy Zucchini-Feta Fritters
AuthorJuliePlace a couple sheets of paper towel on a cutting board or work surface, and grate your zucchini onto it using the coarse side (the big holes) of a box grater. Sprinkle with salt and let sit a few minutes. Place another paper towel on top, gather up the zucchini inside the towels and wring out as much liquid as you can - if you like, squeeze it into a bowl and use the liquid in soup or pasta. (It will be salty.)
Transfer the shredded zucchini to a bowl, add the feta, then stir in the egg and some freshly ground black pepper, tossing to combine it all. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir it into the zucchini mixture.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat a generous drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Drop the batter in large spoonfuls, then flatten with the spoon until they are 2-3" in diameter. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottoms are golden, then flip and cook for another couple minutes on the other side. If they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. If you like, keep them warm in a 250F oven while you cook the rest. Serve immediately, while still warm.
Ingredients
Directions
Place a couple sheets of paper towel on a cutting board or work surface, and grate your zucchini onto it using the coarse side (the big holes) of a box grater. Sprinkle with salt and let sit a few minutes. Place another paper towel on top, gather up the zucchini inside the towels and wring out as much liquid as you can - if you like, squeeze it into a bowl and use the liquid in soup or pasta. (It will be salty.)
Transfer the shredded zucchini to a bowl, add the feta, then stir in the egg and some freshly ground black pepper, tossing to combine it all. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, then stir it into the zucchini mixture.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat a generous drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Drop the batter in large spoonfuls, then flatten with the spoon until they are 2-3" in diameter. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottoms are golden, then flip and cook for another couple minutes on the other side. If they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. If you like, keep them warm in a 250F oven while you cook the rest. Serve immediately, while still warm.
Feta is one of my favourite foods, and I think it’s brilliant (of course!) that you used it here. I’m glad you’re finding your way back into the kitchen. 🙂
So glad I could offer some inspiration! I’m excited to try your version with feta. Because we do have a bunch of our freakishly large garden zucchini to work through!
Julie,
What would you guess is the amount of zucchini you’re talking about – 2 cups maybe? I have a huge zucchini that I’m guessing might be more than what you’re calling for here. I think this recipe sounds great but I’m not sure how much zucchini I need. Thanks!
Janice – Sorry for the slow reply – I’d say 2-3 cups grated zucchini?
mmm…those look so good. I wish I had one of those neighbors you’re always hearing about who leave zucchini on your doorstep. I never seem to have enough! 🙂
Yummy!
Yay! (you creating)
I think zucchini and feta is a natural combination…good choice! I’ll have to try an egg-free version of these. And also guten-free since my hubby is trying that out. Wish me luck.
These sound divine! I’ll have to try them for sure.
These look delicious!
I think I will try them with tzatziki vs the sour cream.
nomonomnom
Hard-boiled eggs, still in the shell, will last a lot longer than you think.
I think you’re right. I keep cracking open hard boiled eggs now, and wondering if I’ve left them too long! At least Lou is happy…
oh, how i ADORE zucchini-feta fritters!
and not one of my littles will touch them. arg. tell me william wouldn’t eat them. please. to make me feel better?
Molly – I wouldn’t know.. they were long gone by the time he got home from school. 🙂 But I doubt he would have eaten them voluntarily. He would have looked at them suspiciously and said “no thank you”…
After reading about these fritters, I was again reminded how much I love the baked version that I adapted from Chatelaine. Am VERY excited to try them with feta – seems like such an obvious choice that I’m bummed that I didn’t think of it earlier!
Rebecca – Oooh baked – great idea! Do they get dark and crispy?
We Greeks also add onions, and fresh mint, fresh parsley and fresh dill into the batter!
Chrisanthi – good to know! I have fresh mint in the garden, even! Will try that next time!
Made these tonight for dinner (am currently devouring) and they are just fantastic! I love your blog, Julie. Anytime I need some inspiration, it’s the first place I go!
YUM! This recipe left me drooling & we added it to our Tasty Tuesday Welcome Fall recipe list! Looking forward to exploring your site!
I have some local raw goat cheese (regular and pesto) that we bought from the farmer’s market. Do you think I could substitute for the feta?
These look delicious, I’m suddenly surrounded by zucchini and was looking for something different, you know, like not a “zoodle” recipe or the good ole zucchini loaf etc. Not that they’re not good but…..I’m salivating just thinking about making these. In fact, I have feta needing to be used up right now…heading to the fridge….
Awesome!!