GLUTEN-FREE SPICED ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
Here’s a good menu idea for a cocktail party. Zucchini, potato, spices and mint combined in a tiny ball, flash fried and served with a dash of mayonnaise. They’re moreish and make the perfect one mouthful appetiser.
Our Spiced Zucchini Fritters can be prepared the day before you need them, either uncooked or cooked, so that last minute work in the kitchen is kept to a minimum. And that means more time with your friends and family. And that’s always a good thing.
Caren
SPICED ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
Makes 40-45 cocktail-sized fritters
400 gm zucchini, ends trimmed, coarsely grated on a box grater
200 gm peeled Sebago potato, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
60 gm brown rice flour
½ teaspoon chilli flakes, or more to taste
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
Grapeseed oil for frying
Mayonnaise to serve (we use Kewpie)
Flakes of sea salt
Place the grated zucchini in a sieve and set aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile bring the potato, salt and garlic to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat a little and cook until soft. Drain and return the potato and garlic to the pan off the heat so the moisture evaporates.
Mash the potato and garlic. Stir through the rice flour, chilli flakes, dried mint and sea salt. Mix well.
Add the spring onions, zest and egg.
Tip the zucchini onto a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Add to the potato mixture, ensuring it is well combined. Season more to taste.
With gloved hands, roll heaped teaspoonsful, about 15gm each, into balls and set aside on a tray lined with baking paper.
The balls can be refrigerated at this stage and removed from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking.
Pour oil into a wide frying pan to a depth of 1cm. Fry the balls over medium heat in batches, turning them as one side browns, until golden in colour. Take care not to crowd the pan. The balls will flatten a little as you fry them.
Drain each batch on kitchen paper and keep warm. Alternatively, the cooked fritters can be refrigerated and warmed later in a moderate oven.
Serve with bowls of mayonnaise and sea salt for dipping or dollop a little mayonnaise on each fritter then top with a flake of sea salt.
TIPS:
The uncooked balls can be frozen for up to a week then defrosted on kitchen paper out of the fridge for an hour before frying.
Vary the spicing to suit your taste, or your children’s palates - they’ll love them.