The Newlywed Kitchen - Book Review with a Recipe for Zucchini Fritters

The Newlywed Kitchen - Book Review with a Recipe for Zucchini Fritters

May 24, 2010
Appetizers Books Recipes

Zucchini fritters from The Newlywed Kitchen

I love a cookbook that has a unique point of view, and Lorna Yee and Ali Basye's Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together has that in spades. They have created a beautiful, charming book for couples just starting out in marriage to explore cooking together.  You'd be crazy not to give it as a shower gift to every couple you know who is getting married this summer.

Along with the recipes are endearing stories from a wide range of culinary professionals about their experiences cooking with their beloved in the first years of marriage. I love Chef Ethan Stowell's story of how he came to throw the soup his wife Angela requested for their wedding over a cliff!

When I first flipped through the book, I was immediately attracted to this recipe for zucchini fritters. I'm pretty much a sucker for any sort of little crispy pan-fried fritter, and I could tell this one was gonna be good. Lorna was happy to share it with our readers, so it is reprinted below. Serve them fresh out of the frying pan for maximum crispy goodness.

Zucchini Fritters with Tangy Yogurt Sauce
Vegetarian
Makes 10 Fritters

For the sauce:
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  1. Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the fritters:
  • 3 cups grated zucchini
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons extra-vigin olive oil
  1. Combine the zucchini and salt in a sieve over a large bowl and squeeze the water out with your hands. (You should be able to remove about 1/2 cup of water.)
  2. Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and add the garlic, egg, peppers, Parmesan, and flour. Stir to combine.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the zucchini batter into the pan, making sure the fritters don't touch one another. Brown the fritters for about 3 minutes, lifting the edge to check on the color. When the fritters are golden brown, flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

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10 Comments

Rashmi
Hi Michael, I am regular reader of your blog, sometimes my day at work starts after reading something yummy in your blog. I am not too familiar with many ingredients that you use, so I usually look it up on the net. The other day I was looking up Parmigiano reggiano. The use of calf rennet in cheese making shocked me. I am a south Indian vegetarian and I love to eat Pizzas and pastas at times because of the cheesy goodness. But now I am so much in doubt. Does the cheese that you use also have rennet? And do you have any idea about the cheese we get in India? :(
Michael Natkin
These are very good questions, Rashmi, and the answers can be elusive at times. Fortunately in the States, some of the more conscientious stores are getting better at labeling cheeses as to whether they use animal rennet or one of the alternatives (microbial, vegetable). I've heard anecdotally that the non-animal sources are cheaper so cheeses that don't specify actually may well be vegetarian. I'd be hopeful that in India, with such a strong vegetarian culture, it would be considered very bad to be selling non-vegetarian products without clear labeling, but you should certainly ask at your market for clarification. There is also some good info on the wikipedia page about rennet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet#Alternative_sources_of_rennet).
Kate
These fritters look so tasty and not too time-consuming. I've been trying to think of something different for zucchini, thank you for the great recipe, making tonight!
Diego
I've also been in the mood for pan fried cakes. What would you recommend serving this with?
Michael Natkin
Hmm, let's see. I think those zucchini cakes would go really well this black bean soup with the orange/jalapeno salsa. Or for a lighter meal I might just have them with a chopped salad.
Diego
Thanks! I think it'll go really well with the salad. Planning on making the the zucchini cakes with the salad on wednesday. I'll make sure to leave a comment here.
Raghav
Hi Michael, I just started reading your blog recently. I am vegetarian but, unlike you, I don't have egg. I'm also just 18, so I don't have much experience in the kitchen. What substitute may I use for egg in this recipe (and many other recipes in which, I think, it is used to bind the ingredients)?
Michael Natkin
One thing you can try is Ener-G egg replacer. It is kind of a strange product but I think it will give you some of that binding effect for fritters etc.
Raghav
I'm vegan and I don't get Ener-G egg replacer in my country. If you are one of those who, like me, don't get the Ener-G thing in your country try using some chickpea flour (besan) instead of the eggs. It really works. Michael suggested this to me.
Evelyn
If anyone's looking for a gluten-free version, I've made one: https://v8mile.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/gluten-free-mu%CC%88cver-zucchini-fritters/

Comments are closed.