Zucchini & Potato Fritters

I made this recipe for zucchini fritters about a year ago, and to be honest, they weren't great. The flavor was bland and they were a little mushy, and I almost forgot about them entirely until I saw a beautiful selection of zucchini at the farmer's market. For my second attempt, I added fresh herbs, garlic, and potato, and used a two-step cooking process, first crisping them in the pan and then baking them in the oven. The end result was worlds better than the first, with much crispier and flavorful fritters.


Zucchini & Potato Fritters:

• Peel 2 large russet potatoes and trim the ends off 3 large zucchini.
• Grate the vegetables in the large holes of a box grater.*
• Place grated veggies in a colander lined with a kitchen towel and sprinkle them with 1 tsp. kosher salt.
• After 30 minutes, wrap towel around the vegetables and squeeze out any excess water.**
• Combine 3/4 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
• Whisk in 1/2 c. beer to form a batter.
• Add in the grated zucchini and potatoes, 6 oz. goat cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp. chopped parsley, and 1 tbsp. chopped chives.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/3 c. oil into a large skillet.
• Using a 1/4 c. measure, drop fritter batter into the skillet and flatten into disks.
• Cook fritters for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden brown crust forms.***
• Place fritters on a sheet pan and bake for 7-10 minutes in a 375°F oven.
• To serve, arrange fritters onto plates and top with sour cream and chopped chives. 

Makes 12 fritters
*Or use the grater attachment in a food processor.
**Removing liquid from the vegetables keeps the batter thick and the fritters crispy.
***I worked in batches of 4 to 5 fritters at a time.