Zucchini Fritters

• Servings: 4.

Zucchini is one of summer's most bountiful vegetables and if you have a friend or work-mate who has a garden, perhaps you've been a beneficiary of zucchini's exuberant harvests.  But zucchini is just as much a year-round vegetable.  It might not be as flavorful in January as it is in July, but it can still be a versatile ingredient.

These fritters are a classic recipe that can be a perfect side to simply cooked fish, or if you make them small, to be a starter along with a salad topped with goat cheese.  If you're serving the fritters as a side dish, they are flavorful just with a pinch of your best coarse sea salt, but they become luxurious when topped with sour cream or Greek yogurt or labneh into which you've grated some fresh garlic.

This batter cooks perfectly in a regular stainless steel (i.e., not a non-stick) or cast iron skillet, producing a beautiful golden brown crust while leaving the inside of the fritters tender. Cook the fritters in small enough batches so that they aren't crowded in the pan because this will interfere with the fritters becoming crisp.  If you need to do more than one batch, hold the first in a 200° F oven to keep warm. 

Try to make the fritters of uniform size; using a large ice cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup can help. 

Try to serve the fritters right out of the frying pan because while you can hold them for a few minutes in a warm (200°F) oven, after about two minutes they'll begin to get soggy and no additional warming at any temperature will fix that.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds zucchini (about 4 medium)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 2-3" pieces and sliced thin lengthwise
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Canola or olive oil, for sautéing

Directions

1. Trim ends off the zucchini. Do not peel them. Using either the large holes of a box grater or the grating disc of a food processor, grate them and add to a large bowl.
2. Toss the grated zucchini with the teaspoon of salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes to let the salt draw out the zucchini's moisture.
3. Transfer to a fine-hole sieve or colander and using your clean hands, squeeze out the water. Return the wrung out zucchini to the large bowl.
4. Add the scallion slices, egg, and about 6 to 8 shots of Tabasco (more or less to your taste) and mix to combine so that the scallion slices are distributed throughout the zucchini shreds.
5. In a small dish, combine the flour and baking powder with a fork, then add to the zucchini mixture and gently stir so that it forms a zucchini batter.
6. Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add enough oil to generously coat the pan (about 2 tablespoons depending on the size of your pan). When the oil is hot and shimmering but not smoking, add spoonfuls of the zucchini batter to create about 3-inch fritters, flattening them down with the back of your spatula.
7. Cook for about 3 minutes, until golden brown, and then turn and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. The fritters should be firm with a nice crust on both sides.
8. Transfer briefly to a paper towel and then serve immediately.