It’s September and zucchini are going nuts (well they are in every garden but my own, but more on that another time). It’s time for a family favorite: Summer Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Garlic Aioli. My sweet friend and gardener extraordinaire, Hannah Dewey, of Cascade Heritage Gardens, has been bringing me nearly 18″ long zucchini’s and one of the best ways to use them? Fritters! Combine them with the following zesty lemon aioli recipe for a dreamy combo! My kids and husband love this as a meal or a side and I’ve been known to nibble a too-hot fritter from just off the pan, because I just cannot wait for the goodness to melt on my tastebuds. The fritter recipe I’ve adapted from probably four different places and I think it’s hit the sweet spot. The main key is to get as much moisture as possible out of your zucchini, or you end up with some serious sogginess. For the aioli I love combining greek yogurt with mayo; you still get the deliciousness of an aioli, but it’s not quite as heavy. Enjoy friends!
Recipe:
Aioli: Use this as a guide and add more lemon, dill or garlic to your liking! Taste as you go!
Combine:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (zest the lemon first and set aside to be used for the fritters, then squeeze it for the aioli)
1 Tablespoon Dill Mustard (see below photo, I love the Inglehoffer brand, from Beaverton Foods, that you should be able to find at your grocery, otherwise, use a fav mustard that you have on hand)
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons of fresh dill, or 1 Tablespoon dry dill
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Fritters:
2-3 medium zucchini, grated. Approximately 4 cups.
1 egg
1 cup crushed crackers (I like plain Triscuits or panko works too)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup flour
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup scallions, chopped fine
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil of your preference
Directions:
- Start by making the aioli. Mix together all aioli ingredients; greek yogurt, mayo, dill mustard, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Grate zucchini with a box grater. Put it in a large colander and then toss it with large pinch of sea salt. Transfer the colander to your sink and then place something heavy on top, like a small pot (I use a heavy Le Creuset type pot). This is my lazy method, as I set it in the colander while I prep the other items, but you can also use a cheesecloth to wring out the moisture as well.
- While the zucchini is draining out some moisture, mix together the egg, crushed crackers, salt, pepper, dill, garlic, flour, zest and scallions.
- Prep a large saute pan by turning the heat on medium-low, but not adding any oil. Let the pan heat up for a good 3-5 minutes. You want the pan hot before you add the oil. Here’s a note on this: I don’t use non-stick pans. I don’t think they last and I don’t know what weird coating is on them, so I only use stainless or cast iron. They stand the test of time, heat evenly and thoroughly and honestly work better (yes, even for eggs!). If you heat the pan correctly, the fritters will not stick. Trust me!
- While your pan is heating up, mix the zucchini with the other ingredients. I think using your hands here works best. Once mixed, make a few balls out of the mixture and set them to the side of your bowl.
- Now your pan should be hot, so add in 2 tablespoons or so of oil. Eyeball it! More is better than less.
- Grab one of your fritter balls and smash it down a bit and lay it in the oil. Then repeat with 2-3 more fritters. Only cook three to five fritters at a time so you have room to flip them. The key is to cook them low and slow so the insides get cooked well.
- While the fritters are cooking, you can clean up some of your mess from assembly (mise en place, people! French for “clean as you go”), as the fritters need a solid five minutes before flipping.
- When the fritters are ready to be flipped they will come off the pan easily. If they need more time, you will be able to tell when you try to slide your spatula under them. You can use your spatula to gently turn up the edge of one fritter to check the browning.
- Flip once you see a nice dark brown, but not burnt color, and the fritter no longer clings to the pan.
- Continue with your mise en place (now half your battle after dinner is already done, thank you very much!)
- Flip browned fritters onto a paper towel lined plate and repeat process with remaining mixture.
- Drizzle fritters with aioli or serve on the side to dip!
Thank you for stopping by friends! I hope you enjoy and are able to use up all those giant zucchini!
Photos below for Summer Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Garlic Aioli
