Zucchini Fritters With Smoked Tomato Sauce Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen

Images

Serves

Makes 4 servings, 12 about fritters

Ingredients

Tomato sauce:

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Zucchini fritters:

  • 2 medium zucchini, coarsely shredded
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure

Summer brings an abundance of zucchini to gardens and markets. This easy, quick, and delicious recipe is a wonderful way to use this vegetable.

Set a baking sheet with a wire rack.

To prepare the sauce: To a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar; stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes. Purée the sauce using a hand-held immersion blender; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To smoke sauce: Load a smoking gun with wood chips, direct the tube into the saucepan, cover with plastic wrap to trap the smoke and light the gun. Fill the pan with smoke and turn off the gun; remove the tube, resealing with the plastic wrap. Allow the sauce to absorb the smoke for 20 minutes, or until desired smokiness is achieved. Stir sauce, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To prepare fritters: To a large bowl, combine the zucchini, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beaten egg and stir to thoroughly combine. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the flour and baking powder, mixing just until incorporated.

To cook fritters: To a large skillet set over medium-high heat; add the oil and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add 2 tablespoons of the batter, spreading to form 3-inch fritters. Fry fritters until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning halfway through. Use a spatula to transfer the cooked fritters onto a wire rack to drain excess oil. Season fritters lightly with salt.

To serve: Transfer fritters to a large serving dish, serve with smoked tomato sauce.

By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen

Serves

Makes 4 servings, 12 about fritters

Ingredients

Tomato sauce:

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Zucchini fritters:

  • 2 medium zucchini, coarsely shredded
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure

Summer brings an abundance of zucchini to gardens and markets. This easy, quick, and delicious recipe is a wonderful way to use this vegetable.

Set a baking sheet with a wire rack.

To prepare the sauce: To a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar; stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes. Purée the sauce using a hand-held immersion blender; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To smoke sauce: Load a smoking gun with wood chips, direct the tube into the saucepan, cover with plastic wrap to trap the smoke and light the gun. Fill the pan with smoke and turn off the gun; remove the tube, resealing with the plastic wrap. Allow the sauce to absorb the smoke for 20 minutes, or until desired smokiness is achieved. Stir sauce, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To prepare fritters: To a large bowl, combine the zucchini, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beaten egg and stir to thoroughly combine. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the flour and baking powder, mixing just until incorporated.

To cook fritters: To a large skillet set over medium-high heat; add the oil and heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add 2 tablespoons of the batter, spreading to form 3-inch fritters. Fry fritters until golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning halfway through. Use a spatula to transfer the cooked fritters onto a wire rack to drain excess oil. Season fritters lightly with salt.

To serve: Transfer fritters to a large serving dish, serve with smoked tomato sauce.

Zucchini Fritters With Smoked Tomato Sauce Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

FAQs

Why are my zucchini fritters sticking to the pan? ›

Make sure you thoroughly dry your zucchini before preparing the batter so the binding agents (flour, egg, and breadcrumbs) can hold the fritters together. You'll also want to use a non-stick skillet and oil to make sure the fritters don't get stuck to the pan.

Why are my vegetable fritters soggy? ›

Why fritters are soggy. The most common causes for soggy fritters are too much batter (basic flour and egg batter like used in pancakes will never cook up crispy), and whatever you're frittering leeches too much water when cooking.

How do you cook zucchini so it doesn't get mushy? ›

Don't overcrowd the pan, which can cause the zucchini to steam instead of roast. Unless you have time to salt and drain the zucchini, wait to salt it until after they're cooked so the salt doesn't draw out the moisture in the oven—this can lead to sogginess.

How do you keep zucchini crisp when cooking? ›

Slice and salt zucchini in advance of cooking to draw out some of the vegetable's excess moisture (while also seasoning it more thoroughly). To do this, cut up a pound of zucchini and toss it with ½ teaspoon of table salt. Let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes before patting it dry and cooking it.

Does baking soda make fritters crispy? ›

Is baking soda or powder best for frying? A pinch of baking soda can help produce crispy fried foods. It reacts with the acid in the batter to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These lead to an airy batter and a crisper, fluffier result.

Why are my fritters not crispy? ›

The oil must be hot, otherwise the batter will absorb more oil and become soggy. By adding eggs, it can also make the dough for crispy fritters fluffy and soft.

How do you keep fritters from sticking? ›

Get the skillet searing hot.

A pan that's too cool will create a lackluster crust that could result in a floppy fritter if you're not careful. In my experience, a cast iron skillet ($15; amazon.com) is the best option for fritters. It gets incredibly hot and is naturally non-stick (if it's seasoned properly).

Should zucchini bread be cool before removing from pan? ›

Don't leave the loaf in the pan too long – Once you remove the bread from the oven, let it sit for 10 to15 minutes. But after that, it should be turned out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. Otherwise, the edges can get a little too done in the still-hot pan.

How do you keep vegetables from sticking to the pan? ›

06/7​Simple greasing

Just wash, clean and brush some oil over the surface to prevent food from sticking to the pan. You can also dip a cotton ball in oil and wipe the cooking surface of the pan, which is enough to prevent food from sticking. Make sure you repeat this 2-3 times to form a coat.

Should you salt and drain zucchini before cooking? ›

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

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