Fresh Zucchini Fritters with Mayo/Yogurt Sauce
It’s summertime here in Mid Missouri and for gardeners like me that means you are harvesting loads of fresh zucchini. I have always loved zucchini. I like it grilled, sauteed, in ratatouille and soups. Once your zucchini has gotten too big, the best thing to do is to grate it. Once grated you can use it in fritters and all varieties of zucchini bread and muffins. Since I’ve been making all manner of bread and muffins, today it was time to switch it up. I chose fritters so that I could add some of my fresh herbs and scallions to the mix.
The most important tip is that you’ll want to lightly salt your grated zucchini and then place it in a colander over a bowl and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Doing this will draw excess moisture out of the zucchini. This will result in your fritters being crispy on the outside and tender on the inside…but not mushy. Nobody likes a mushy fritter, right?
Luckily for me I have a super amazing Cuisinart Food Processer. It took me a total of 15 seconds to shred my big boy zucchini!
I fried my fritters in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in a non stick skillet. My big skillet has a little rise in the center. So notice how I placed my fritter batter around the edges so they were resting on a bit of oil. Frying doesn’t take long. 3 minutes on the first side and 2-3 more on the second.
Whether you are a gardener like me or you are able to visit a local farmers market to find these green beauties…I hope you’ll give my fritter recipe a try. I served my fritters alongside some seared sockeye salmon and freshly sliced tomatoes from my garden. Nothing tastes quite like summer to me than freshly picked vegetables. Happy Summertime Cooking!
Fresh Zucchini Fritters with Mayo/Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh zucchini, grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated/minced
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (dill, fennel fronds, parsley)
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Mayo/Yogurt Sauce for topping
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dill or spicy pickles, finely chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (dill, fennel fronds, parsley)
Instructions
- Grate fresh zucchini to get 3 cups
- Sprinkle grated zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt, toss and set in colander over bowl to allow moisture to draw out of zucchini. Let set for at least 20 minutes while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
- In medium size bowl mix all remaining ingredients except for the extra virgin olive oil.
- Place drained zucchini on clean dish towel. Roll up and squeeze out any remaining moisture.
- Add drained zucchini to bowl with other ingredients. Stir until well combined.
- In a skillet set on medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil.
- Spoon small amount of zucchini mixture on to skillet, gently pressing down the center to create a rounded fritter shape.
- Cook for approximately 3 minutes on first side. When golden brown, flip fritters.
- Cook on second side for another 2 minutes.
- Remove fritters from pan and either serve immediately or place on a screen positioned on top of a baking sheet and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
- Top fritters with special mayo/yogurt sauce.
Mayo/Yogurt Sauce for topping
- Combine all ingredients. Stir until fully combined.
