The Greek name kolokythokeftedes is a bit of a tongue twister but these fritters are delicious. If you can’t get Kefalograviera cheese, Manchego is an acceptable substitute.
Ingredients
For the caper-yogurt sauce
- Greek Yogurt 2/3 cup
- Caper Brine 1 tsp, plus 1 Tbs Capers
- Orange Blossom Water ¼ tsp
- Kosher Salt a pinch
- Dried Mint ¼ tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the fritters
- Zucchini shredded, 2 cups
- Scallions 3, thinly sliced
- Chopped Parsley 1 Tbs
- Chopped Mint 2 tsp
- Dried Oregano 1 tsp
- Panko Breadcrumbs 1/3 cup
- Kefalograviera Cheese 2 oz, grated or shredded
- All Purpose Flour 2 Tbs
- Freshly Ground White Pepper ¼ tsp
- Kosher Salt ½ tsp
- Egg Whites 2 large
- Canola Oil 2 Tbs, plus more if needed
Cook It
- To make the sauce, whisk together the yogurt, caper brine, orange blossom water, 2 teaspoons of water, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add another teaspoon of water. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the fritters, stir together the zucchini, scallions, parsley, mint, oregano, panko, cheese, flour, pepper, and salt in a large bowl.
- Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until firm peaks form, then fold into the zucchini mixture.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of zucchini batter onto the hot pan to form each fritter, using a spoon to pat them out to about 2 inches wide, and cook, turning once, until nicely browned, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
- Continue with the remaining batter, being careful not to crowd the pan, until you have 16 fritters. If you need to add a bit more oil to the pan, be sure to let it get hot before adding more batter.
- To serve, remove the caper-yogurt sauce from the refrigerator, give it a good stir, then spread it in a shallow serving bowl set on a serving platter. Top the sauce with the whole capers, sprinkle with dried mint, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Arrange the fritters around the sauce.
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Images © 2024 by Thomas Schauer. Courtesy of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Text © From Zaytinya by José Andrés. Copyright © 2024 by José Andrés Media. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
