Zucchini and Feta Fritters

 

Zucchini and Feta Fritters served with lemon wedges.

These fritters are based on a Turkish recipe - it seems they are popular there. They are easy to prepare, and make a good light lunch by themselves, or the highlight of a dinner accompanied by rice pilaf and salad. This recipe makes enough fritters for two people.

Zucchini and Feta Fritters

Ingredients

350-400 g zucchini, coarsely grated

70-100g feta cheese, crumbled

[haloumi cheese can be used instead, or equal parts of feta and ricotta]

2 spring onions, minced or very finely chopped

3-4 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

[other herbs which can be used as well are fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley]

1 egg, lightly beaten

100g flour and 1 tsp baking powder, sifted together

freshly ground pepper

salt to taste

Method

Grate the zucchini, and squeeze them hard to get out as much moisture as possible. (If there is time, put the grated and squeezed zucchini in a colander, put a plate on top, put something heavy on the plate and leave it to drain out the remaining moisture.)

In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini with the feta, onion, dill and egg.

Sift in the flour and baking powder gradually, stirring each time until a stiff batter is achieved.

If this happens before the full measure of flour is used, stop adding it; if the mix still seems bit runny when the full measure is used, add some more.

Add pepper and salt to taste, bearing in mind that the feta cheese may have provided enough salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy frying pan, and add 1 heaped tablespoon of fritter mix per fritter, flattening each one as it starts to set, and flipping it when it is brown underneath.

As each batch of fritters is done, put them on a heavy platter in a low oven to keep warm while the next lot is fried. Line the platter with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Sever the fritters hot, with lemon quarters to squeeze over them.