Crispy Tomato-Mint Fritters with Lemon-Tahini Drizzle

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Greek island tavernas fry these lacy tomato fritters (domatokeftedes) all summer long: grated ripe tomato, sweet onion, torn mint and oregano bound with just enough flour, then dropped into shimmering olive oil until the edges go crackly and the centers stay jammy. A garlicky lemon-tahini drizzle takes the place of tzatziki and comes together in the time the batter rests.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb very ripe tomatoes
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, coarsely grated
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup olive oil, for shallow frying

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 4 tbsp cold water, plus more as needed
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Halve the tomatoes crosswise and grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a colander set over a bowl, discarding the flat skins left in your hand. Toss the pulp with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and let it drain for 20 minutes, pressing gently once or twice with the back of a spoon. You want roughly 1 1/2 cups of thick pulp; save the drained juice for another use.
2. Meanwhile, squeeze the grated onion in your fist over the sink to remove most of its liquid. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl — it will seize up and look broken, which is normal. Whisk in the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it loosens into a pourable, ivory-colored sauce, then stir in the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
3. Transfer the drained tomato pulp to a large bowl and stir in the squeezed onion, scallions, mint, parsley, oregano, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder over the tomato mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick enough to mound on a spoon; if it slumps, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 3 tablespoons). Let the batter rest 15 minutes at room temperature so the flour hydrates.
5. Pour the olive oil into a 10-inch skillet to a depth of about 1/3 inch and heat over medium until it reaches 350°F on an instant-read thermometer, or until a pinch of batter sizzles briskly on contact, about 5 minutes.
6. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the oil, flattening each into a 2 1/2-inch round with the back of the spoon. Fry 4 or 5 at a time without crowding, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden with lacy brown edges. Adjust the heat to keep the oil between 340°F and 360°F.
7. Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack (not paper towels) so they stay crisp. Season immediately with flaky salt. Repeat with the remaining batter, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches — you should get 16 to 18 fritters.
8. Pile the fritters on a platter, drizzle with some of the lemon-tahini sauce, and serve the rest alongside with lemon wedges for squeezing. They are best within 15 minutes of frying, while the edges still shatter.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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