Zucchini Fritters Pancakes Nigella Lawson Food

FRIED SHRIMP CAKES

Steps:

• Process or blend the shrimp with the garlic, scallions, salt, flour, sherry, and enough water to make a thick batter. Let stand, covered with plastic film, for 1 hour. Then fry, in drops of 1 heaping teaspoon, into the oil poured to a depth of 2 inches in a pan, for about 1 minute each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

POTATO ZUCCHINI PANCAKES WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Set up your grill for even medium-high heat by building coals evenly on the bottom of the grill.
• Place the shredded zucchinis and potatoes into a tea towel and wring as much moisture out as you can. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, flour, scallions, dill and lemon zest and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the zucchinis and potatoes and mix to combine. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop the mixture into balls on a cookie tray.
• Place a large cast-iron pan on the grill and add a good splash of oil (it should be 1- to 1 1/2-inches deep in the pan). Set a cooling rack in a sheet tray and set aside.
• Bring the oil to 350 degrees F, then add 3 balls to the pan and flatten into pancakes. Brown and crisp on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and brown and crisp on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to the cooling rack set and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining potato pancakes, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.
• For the yogurt sauce: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, chives, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the potato zucchini pancakes with a dollop of yogurt sauce.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS / PANCAKES (NIGELLA LAWSON)

Steps:

• Coarsely grate the zucchini with either the grating blade in the food processor or by hand. Spread the little shards out on a tea towel and leave for about 20 minutes to get rid of any excess wetness.
• Put the chopped scallions in a bowl and crumble in the feta. Stir in the chopped parsley and mint, along with the dried mint and paprika. Add the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Gradually add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly before stirring in the drained, grated zucchini. Don't be alarmed by the unflowing straggly lumpiness of this batter; it's meant to be this way.
• Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and drop heaped dessertspoons of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening the little cakes down with the back of the spoon as you go. Cook these little patties for about 2 minutes each side until golden, and then transfer to a couple of waiting plates.
• Chop up the limes and tumble them about the edges of the plates. Sprinkle over a little more chopped mint and eat them just as they are, spritzed with lime juice as you go.

GREEK ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Steps:

• Salt the zucchini generously and leave to drain in a colander for one hour, tossing and squeezing the zucchini from time to time. Take up handfuls of zucchini, and squeeze out all of the moisture. Alternately, wrap in a clean dish towel, and squeeze out the water by twisting at both ends.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the shredded zucchini, herbs, cumin, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and feta. Mix together well. Take up a small handful of the mixture; if it presses neatly into a patty, it is the right consistency. If it seems wet, add more breadcrumbs or a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour. When the mixture has the right consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or longer.
• Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large frying pan until rippling, or at about 275 degrees. Meanwhile, take up heaped tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, and form balls or patties. Lightly dredge in flour.
• When the oil is very hot, add the patties in batches to the pan. Fry until golden brown, turning once with a spider or slotted spoon. Remove from the oil, and drain briefly on a rack. Serve with plain Greek style yogurt if desired.

GOURMET ZUCCHINI FRITTERS (NO CHEESE!)

Steps:

• Shred the zucchini squash on a box shredder (large side) or with a mandolin.
• In a medium bowl, mix the salt and water and allow the shredded zucchini to soak in the refrigerator for up to 45 minutes.
• In another medium bowl, mix the chopped parsley, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Drain, rinse, (cold tap water) and redrain the zucchini -- pat it dry with paper towels and add to the parsley mixture.
• Season the mixture with the table salt and pepper, then add in the beaten eggs and carefully stir in the flour to make a batter.
• In a medium-sized no-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, bring the olive oil up to temperature until you see some rippling. Then spoon in heaping tablespoons of the zucchini batter. Make about three per batch -- each one, after being mashed down a bit with a spatula should be about three inches across. Cook for about one minute per side (until golden brown) before turning.
• Place finished patties on paper towels to drain while finishing the remaining patties.
• Serve with lemon wedges as garnish, on the side.