Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Stop the presses!

Or at least, that's what I've wanted to say since I discovered broccoli fritters this week.

Broccoli is a staple veggie in many boonies kitchens - holds together well in the fridge, can be frozen, is a good way to get green veggies in the dead of winter when wilty salad isn't looking so appealing...  But for years, many boonies cooks have resorted to simple steaming or boiling to get their broccoli fix, smothering them in cheese sauce so the kids will eat them.  Well, no more.  I tell you, I'm going to eat my broccoli in fritters from now on. 

These were so delicious that I was eating them straight from the pan, barely waiting for them to cool.  By the time I finished cooking the end of the batch, I had 2 left  *urp*. 

Recipe Notes:

If you don't have good parmesan cheese, cheddar works as well.
I've heard that Canadian flour is somehow different from American flour, and this has affected most of my attempts to make bread.  I know that American bread recipes call for way more flour than I can mix into the dough, and this seems to be the case with this recipe too.  When I made it, I added a couple of teaspoons of water to the dough to get the rest of the flour in, but next time I will probably just use slightly less flour - maybe 1/3 c.  Depending on where you live, this is something to consider.

Broccoli Fritters

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 small bundle fresh broccoli crowns (3 cups, chopped into 1" pieces)
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (maybe a little less - see Recipe Notes)
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
 A pinch of red pepper flakes or several grinds of black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil for frying

Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes until it is soft, but not too mushy. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Mix remaining ingredients. Mash the broccoli with a potato masher and mix into batter until it's all the same consistency.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it spatters when you drip water in it. Add large spoonfuls (2-3 tbsp) of batter to the oil, keeping the fritters a couple of inches apart. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or spatula.  Fry until golden brown (2 - 3 minutes), then flip and repeat. 

Drain the fritters on paper towel before serving (or eating with your fingers from the plate.. *ahem*).