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A couple of years ago, while holidaying on the beautiful island of Corsica, I had an epiphany! It was all about food!
[blank]A local restaurant was serving the best beignet de courgettes, or zucchini fritters that we have ever eaten: they were light and crispy, full of flavour and cooked to perfection, and served with a tiny bowl of grated parmeggiano, in case we wished to sprinkle.
After a meal one evening, the chef de cuisine came to chat at our table, and seeing the collective and evident enthusiasm over his fritters, and being the nice chap that he most certainly was, he gave us his recipe.
Every summer since, I have followed his recipe to the letter …. and I have tried tweaking it – but to my great frustration, my fritters have never come even close to his!
So … I thought you may be able to help. I’m sure that among all my very talented readers there is someone or two with a good recipe. Come on, I’ve shared a ton of my recipes with you, so surely you could share just one tiny little fritter recipe with me?!
I am looking for a recipe that uses grated zucchini, not sliced, but besides that condition I’m willing to try any variant.[blank]
[blank]If you manage to make fritters that look as good as these pictures, that are cooked through perfectly, and that combine a delicious and light batter with the true flavour of the vegetable then I need to know about it.[blank]
Thank you so much, I’ll let you know how it goes!
both pictures via tumblr
30 comments
I adore courgette!!!! But I'm afraid I can't help with fritters – I do make potato cakes/fritters, which are super yummy, but never tried it with courgette. However, I do make a fab courgette soup, you are very welcome to use the recipe, which I posted here: https://www.moorlandhome.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/juz-prawie-jest-almost-here.html
It really is pretty delicious:) Hope you are having a lovely weekend, deZeal from Moorland Home
Hmmm, no don't have a recipe but a few thoughts… would grate, drain and dry the zucchini, use a very small amount of flour, just basically to bind, would beat the egg white and add it at the end, and make sure the oil is very hot! I make lots of different types of fritters, don't use a recipe but just judge as I go.
I love zucchini fritters too.
Here is the recipe that's I have used several times.
https://www.marthastewart.com/261922/zucchini-fritters
I love corn fritters, too!
https://magnoliaverandah.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/cauliflower-fritters.html
Haven't made zucchini fritters, but I make pretty good cauliflower – I am going to replace the cauliflower with zucchini and see how they turn out. Your pictures look pretty good though.
I would love to see the recipe he gave you.
I always slice mine thin, so cannot help you with a fritter recipe. However, have you tried sprinkling them with kosher salt, let them sit for 15 minutes, and then drain (and / or pat dry) before using them in your fritter "batter?". This "disgorging" keeps your final product from being too watery.
Hello Sharon, I hand grate my "Ronde de Nice" zucchini, then add coarse sea salt to taste. Place in cheese cloth and let drain. Add a little flour (just to hold together) and 3 to 4 beaten whole eggs. Fry in hot pan with a generous amount of unsalted butter and a little olive oil. I don't have a recipe, it depends on how many zucchini I have harvested. ox, Gina
I always like to check with Martha's recipes first for basic goodness!
https://www.marthastewart.com/261922/zucchini-fritters
Can't wait to hear the results of this search. I love these treats…
My spouse and i hands grate my "Ronde signifiant Nice" zucchini, you can add harsh marine salt to tastes. Devote parmesan cheese fabric along with allow strain. Include a tiny flour (in order to keep with each other) and 3 to 4 usual whole ovum. Cook within hot pan with a nice volume of unsalted butter and a minor extra virgin olive oil. I haven't got any formula, this will depend about how a lot of zucchini We have collected. oxGold For RunescapeWorld of Warcraft Gold Billig
I live in Corsica and use my mil's recipe to make courgette beignets.
Grate courgettes salt in leave for a little while.
Make a batter with plain flour ,a pinch of salt and cold water it should be like thick cream.Squeeze courgettes and add to batter.Mix and fry in sunflour oil.Sprinkle with more salt to taste.
But the VERY best Corsican beignets are made with raw chopped leeks make the same batter then add some thinly sliced leeks.
Now I know what we are having for starter tomorrow. Liz
These fritters look so tempting Sharon. I've not made these, however, I rely upon allrecipes.com. Perhaps try this, I know I will now.
https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Old-Fashioned-Italian-Zucchini-Fritters/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24;=SR_Thumb&e11;=zucchini%20fritters&e8;=Quick%20Search&event10;=1&e7;=Home%20Page
I've only made, and eaten, zucchini fritters once but they were wonderful. They were whole zucchini slices, dipped in a batter made with Breton buckwheat beer.
You have been so generous with your recipes I can’t believe I don’t have one of my own to share with you. I always shred and then just sauté my zucchini with scallions with a little olive oil and butter, and salt and pepper. I serve under my salmon instead of potatoes. You can find my recipe on my site if you are so inclined. Yours looks so wonderful if you are not satisfied possibly the chef left out a step or a little technique.
Here is a recipe that I have been wanting to try by Chef Michael Symon. His Mother is Greek so it has Greek influence with feta and dill. He uses a towel to remove the moisture, so apparently he does not do laundry. I use my ricer to press out the liquid for zucchini or spinach (or for making mashed potatoes).
I would drain them on paper towels; then place them on a cooling rack so they don’t steam and stay crisp – I learned that from Jacques Pépin.
Okay, now I have to try Anon suggested.
These fritters look yummy Sharon! As I always seem to grow enough courgettes to feed the whole of Kent, I am always on the lookout for new ways with them too! I grate mine and drain and then add to a basic batter mix, but then tend to vary it each time…..cumin and chopped coriander……or feta and chopped mint are great additions…..served with a yoghurt tzatziki sauce.
Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Sophia x
Try the one in Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Suppers." It includes lemon rind and capers. Yummy.
The book has many delicious, healthy recipes. I love it. I just can't get my husband to eat anything but steak/duck/lamb.
I put a bit of Asian (rough) bread crumbs into the mixture and 2 eggs but very little flour and 2 tbsp of Cottage cheese. But most important is to drain the Zucchini carefully (best for a couple of hours) and of course hot oil. To success!
Sharon, my first thought was that it probably is about the oil you are using and the Anon comment–from Corsica no less!–backed that up. Are you using huile du tournesol? That might be it!
I tend to cook au pif but when I need inspiration or want to figure something out, I immediately go to Smitten Kitchen. These are not at all the same style you are looking for but look pretty tasty nonetheless.
https://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/
Bisous from Arles! 🙂
no sorry Sharon,I am a hopeless cook…..
I think the Corsican had the key. Squeeze the liquid out of the salted zucchinis. I know this is the key to potato ones.
Good luck and thanks for this inspiration. I will try to experiment soon and let you know how I go.
Boy, Sharon….you've got some knowledgeable readers, don't you?
All I would say is that (for a "change") you should try making zucchini pakoras. One of my Indian friends owns a very popular restaurant, wheere one of the two or three most popular items are the mixed-vegetable pakoras. This is how she uses-up every day's leftover produce.
The flour is, of course, gram flour (fine chickpea flour)….and the oil has to be the right temperature (you don't need a thermometer; you can tell by looking, particularly if you're using mustard oil).
There are several good recipes for pakoras (they're at all complicated) on the internet.
Best of luck,
david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com
My husband has an insatiable appetite (and has weighed about 185 his whole life – envious!) for all foods EXCEPT zucchini or squash of any kind. Do you think I could fool him with this recipe?
I'd love to see the recipe you're dealing with. If there is flour in the coating, try subbing a little of it for cornstarch- that tends to produce a crisper result. If you're using an egg wash, try just egg white with a bit of cornstarch. Please post your results 🙂
Interesting to see my recipe (see above) translated into another English version. ox, Gina
I'll have to search through my Mother's recipes – she made them and I have repeated it a few times. The success seemed to be in getting all of the liquid squeezed out of the zucchini(this took a while!). She used an electric frying pan and we would hook up an extension cord so we could prepare and eat the meal while dining al fresco! She liked to add cheddar on top just before serving. They were served as snacks inbetween games of whist under the Filbert tree!
Sharon,
Try your recipe again but instead of the vegetable oil to fry them use vegetable oil cut with bacon drippings for the added flavor. That will make them a bit more savory. In other words if it calls for 1/2 cup oil like Martha Stewarts does just use 1/2 oil and half bacon drippings.
This is an Aussie recipe Sharon……
We call them Potato Bacon fritters here. (Even tho they contain zuccini )
Grate your potato, rinse well …. squeeze out excess water.Place into a large mixing bowl.
Grate your zuccini, add a diced brown onion and some diced bacon rashers.
Add 3 to 4 eggs and some plain flour to bind ingredients together.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat your oil ( I use Rice Bran oil ) in a non stick pan. Spoon ingredients into the pan and flatten slightly so they will cook evenly. When they are golden in color remove from pan, drain on papertowel. Serve immediately with tomato or Bbq sauce, or relish.
Obviously quantity of ingredients will depend on how many you are cooking for .
Hope you might find this helpful…..
I make a crepe batter, and add my shreded and squeezed zucchini.
I remember making them a while ago and they were wonderful. I think you can try separating the eggs, so you can whip the whites. I believe you would use the yolk in the batter. Add salt, pepper, mint and feta,, onion., chilli flakes (or Cholula Hot Sauce!), etc and then gently fold in the egg whites at the end.
Let us know if this helps!
Try chilling the batter too…
Hi Sharon. I use half corn flour and half regular flour (just enough to coat), wrap the grated courgette in a dish towel and wring out as much liquid as possible, add a few eggs (just enough to bring everything together and I often add a bit of diced sweet red pepper and some basil chiffonade- it’s pretty and the sweet bits are a nice taste surprise, salt and pepper to taste. Fry by the spoon full in a little neutral oil. I find a cast iron pan works best. Drain on paper towels and eat while warm.