- 500 g / 17.5 oz courgette/zucchini
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ground flax / chia
- 1 cob of corn*
- 2 spring onions / scallions, finely chopped
- a handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
- a good grind of pepper
- zest of 1 small lemon, optional
- 45 g / 6 tbsp AP flour or chickpea flour (for GF version)
- heaped ¼ tsp baking soda
- vegetable oil, for frying
- Grate courgette/zucchini coarsely, stir the salt through it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Place grated courgette/zucchini inside a muslin cloth and squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can into a bowl underneath. Be thorough, I ended up with around 360 ml (1½ cup) of liquid – don’t throw it away just yet though.
- In a small bowl, mix ground flax with 3 tbsp (45 ml) of zucchini liquid (keep another 30 ml / 2 tbsp just in case). Set aside to thicken.
- Shave corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife, chop half of the kernels well – you could also process them in a small food processor with thickened flax, but it’s not necessary, chopping them does the job.
- Combine squeezed out courgette, corn kernels, thickened flax, finely chopped spring onions, basil leaves, black pepper, lemon zest (if using) in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Stir the flour through the mixture – initially the mixture may look a little dry but it will turn into sticky batter in the fridge. Place it in the fridge for a couple of hours to thicken. After resting, the batter should not be runny, but it shouldn’t be dry either – it should stick together (see the photo next to the frying fritter). If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of the zucchini liquid.
- Stir baking soda through the batter just before frying.
- Heat up a medium skillet or frying pan on the stove, once warm, add at least 0.65 cm / ¼” of oil and allow it to come to temperature.
- Drop a corn kernel into the hot oil, if it starts sizzling quite vigorously straight away, the oil is ready for your first fritter. If you have a thermometer, the temperature should read 175° C / 350° F.
- Lay a slightly heaped tablespoon of batter on the hot oil using. Flatten it very lightly (don’t make them too thin as they will fall apart) with the back of a spoon.
- Once flattened, leave each fritter undisturbed for about 3 minutes before gently flipping to the other side and frying for another and 2-3 minutes.
- Maintaining correct oil temperature is key to good fritters. If the fritters are bubbling too vigorously and browning too aggressively, decrease the heat a little or else they will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside. If they are barely sizzling and not browning, turn the heat up a little. Overcrowding the pan will cause the oil temperature to drop too much so only fry 2-3 fritters at a time.
- Transfer fried fritters to a kitchen towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil. Allow them to cool down a little and set as they are fragile whilst hot.
- Serve warm alongside vegan cream fraiche or yoghurt seasoned with garlic, lemon, salt & pepper.
Lazy cat kitchen recipe