Crispy Fried Zucchini & Feta Fritters with Lemon Yogurt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Golden, shatter-edged zucchini fritters fried in deep oil until they puff and crisp, with molten pockets of salty feta and a lot of fresh dill and mint. Squeezing the grated zucchini hard is the whole trick — dry zucchini means crunchy fritters and calm oil. Serve hot with cold lemon yogurt for dunking.

Ingredients

• 2 lb zucchini (about 3 medium)
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more for finishing
• 7 oz feta, crumbled
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 6 cups sunflower or other neutral oil, for deep-frying

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini onto a clean kitchen towel, toss with 1 1/2 tsp salt, and leave 15 minutes. Gather the towel and squeeze hard over the sink, in two or three goes, until no more liquid comes out — you should be left with about 2 cups of dry, ropey zucchini. Wet batter spits in hot oil, so squeeze more than feels necessary.
2. Stir the yogurt with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt; refrigerate until serving.
3. In a bowl, mix the squeezed zucchini with the feta, scallions, dill, mint, egg, flour and black pepper until it holds together when pressed into a loose ball. If it feels sticky-wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
4. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot so it comes no more than one-third up the sides (about 2 inches deep) and heat over medium to 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. Safety note: never leave the pot unattended, keep the handle turned inward and children and water away from it, and keep a lid nearby to smother the pan if oil ever ignites — never use water on an oil fire.
5. Working in batches of 5 or 6, drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the oil and flatten each slightly with the back of the spoon. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Don't crowd the pot: the oil should stay between 335°F and 350°F, so let it come back up to temperature between batches.
6. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a tray (paper towels make them soggy) and sprinkle immediately with a little salt.
7. Serve the fritters hot with the cold lemon yogurt and lemon wedges for squeezing.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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