This is the sole application for my spiralizer attachment for my stand mixer. Zoodles just aren't the same, carbs be damned. If yours is like mine, collecting dust in the back of a corner cabinet, I present these fritters, definitely a mainstay for vegetable centric meals in my house.
I hesitate to call these latkes, because they are definitely distinct from that, but they do seem to be latke adjacent. Instead of a strictly single vegetable batter, we're mixing textures up here with sweet potato and zucchini.
I hesitate to call these latkes, because they are definitely distinct from that, but they do seem to be latke adjacent. Instead of a strictly single vegetable batter, we're mixing textures up here with sweet potato and zucchini.
However, much unlike a traditional latke or tightly bound fritter with potato starches or flour, these fritters stay relatively light because they are loosely bound with the masa harina. Most brands of masa harina are gluten free (check for yourself if you have a sensitivity), so this is an excellent alternative from most recipes that rely on flour. You would also see fritters paired with either tangy or sharp flavors to cut some of the richness, but we almost have the opposite problem: we're using guacamole as the way to add a much-needed fattiness to the equation.
You also don't want to fry these at too hot of an oil temperature; sweet potatoes are very high in starch-to-sugar converting amylase, so your fritters can go from cooked to burned in a short time. Similar to other fried foods, moisture is your enemy in the quest for crispy perfection, so just like hashbrowns, you're going to wring out moisture from the salted zucchini. We usually eat these for a vegetable centric dinner, but I envision these being a great brunch staple too, maybe with some poached or fried eggs and a similarly fatty Hollandaise. Shopping List (Fritters):
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Prep (Pickled Red Onions):
If you already have some pickled red onions in the fridge, great, if not, a few hours before you start, combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a small saucepot and bring to a boil. Toss in a spoonful of sugar and salt to dissolve, and pour over pole-to-pole cut red onion slivers in a heat-resistant jar. Pour poppy seeds over, seal and let come to room temperature. Keep these in the fridge.
Prep (Fritters):
A NOTE ON SPIRALIZING:
When spiralizing, I like to keep some kitchen shears around and cut the threads as they come off the cutter to about 6" length. Basically, whatever height the stand mixer is at, once the strands hit the bowl underneath, chop them. That'll be the perfect length for fritter assembly.
About an hour in advance, spiralize your zucchini, and toss it with a few teaspoons of salt, gently massage it until the salt has dissolved (it will generally feel wet and slick at this point), and leave it to drain on a baking rack. After the initial liquid has drained off, squeeze the zucchini to fully dry it - you can do this in a tea towel or just by hand, you're not looking for it to be bone dry, but if you can get water out of it with little effort, keep squeezing.
Spiralize the sweet potato, but don't worry about salting this, there's not much water to extract. Chop the rest of the veg.
Combine the zucchini and sweet potato in a large bowl and toss in 1/3 c, and rub it into the vegetables. A little bit of moisture on the zucchini will help it adhere, but it shouldn't immediately clump up into a batter (see reference image(s) below) - if it looks a bit dry or naked, add the remaining masa to get to 1/2 c total used. Add the onion, garlic, green chilies, and seasonings. Combine to roughly coat, and then stir in the whisked egg to make a somewhat wet batter. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to help the masa hydrate and become more cohesive.
Prep (Pico de Gallo & Guacamole):
Make the pico de gallo. Chop everything, mix it up, taste for seasoning. It's just pico de gallo, y'all, you don't need a recipe.
Make the guacamole. Crush serrano, salt, and onions in the molcajete or mortar and pestle until smooth. Crush ripe avocado and process until smooth. Season to taste with lime and salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and toss in the fridge if you like.
The Business:
Preheat your frying oil in the desired vessel to 350 deg F. Remember, not a super hot oil temperature.
Grab a small handful of the batter and form into a ball, squeezing relatively tightly and tossing around. You're relying on the spiral nature of the vegetables to act like a self-knotting fritter, as there isn't much external pressure to keep everything held together. Your balls should be about 100 g or ~3 oz - significantly larger than this, and the sugars will burn before the interior is completely cooked through.
Working one at a time in your hands, begin flattening the balls out into patties around 3/4" thick - the edges will likely look somewhat scraggly, but try to keep them contained to a degree. The contrast of crispy edges and more solid interior is a great element to the dish, but too much and it will clash. Carefully place into the hot oil and fry.
I generally just batch fry these and keep the rest warm in a warm oven on the draining rack. If cooking in a pan, they will generally fry for 5-6 minutes per side (remember a low frying temperature), in a wok/deep fry situation, they will be done in about 7-8 minutes total since you aren't really having to flip that much.
Garnish with the pico de gallo, pickled red onions, some optional chopped cilantro, and flaky salt. Enjoy!
If you already have some pickled red onions in the fridge, great, if not, a few hours before you start, combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a small saucepot and bring to a boil. Toss in a spoonful of sugar and salt to dissolve, and pour over pole-to-pole cut red onion slivers in a heat-resistant jar. Pour poppy seeds over, seal and let come to room temperature. Keep these in the fridge.
Prep (Fritters):
A NOTE ON SPIRALIZING:
When spiralizing, I like to keep some kitchen shears around and cut the threads as they come off the cutter to about 6" length. Basically, whatever height the stand mixer is at, once the strands hit the bowl underneath, chop them. That'll be the perfect length for fritter assembly.
About an hour in advance, spiralize your zucchini, and toss it with a few teaspoons of salt, gently massage it until the salt has dissolved (it will generally feel wet and slick at this point), and leave it to drain on a baking rack. After the initial liquid has drained off, squeeze the zucchini to fully dry it - you can do this in a tea towel or just by hand, you're not looking for it to be bone dry, but if you can get water out of it with little effort, keep squeezing.
Spiralize the sweet potato, but don't worry about salting this, there's not much water to extract. Chop the rest of the veg.
Combine the zucchini and sweet potato in a large bowl and toss in 1/3 c, and rub it into the vegetables. A little bit of moisture on the zucchini will help it adhere, but it shouldn't immediately clump up into a batter (see reference image(s) below) - if it looks a bit dry or naked, add the remaining masa to get to 1/2 c total used. Add the onion, garlic, green chilies, and seasonings. Combine to roughly coat, and then stir in the whisked egg to make a somewhat wet batter. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to help the masa hydrate and become more cohesive.
Prep (Pico de Gallo & Guacamole):
Make the pico de gallo. Chop everything, mix it up, taste for seasoning. It's just pico de gallo, y'all, you don't need a recipe.
Make the guacamole. Crush serrano, salt, and onions in the molcajete or mortar and pestle until smooth. Crush ripe avocado and process until smooth. Season to taste with lime and salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and toss in the fridge if you like.
The Business:
Preheat your frying oil in the desired vessel to 350 deg F. Remember, not a super hot oil temperature.
Grab a small handful of the batter and form into a ball, squeezing relatively tightly and tossing around. You're relying on the spiral nature of the vegetables to act like a self-knotting fritter, as there isn't much external pressure to keep everything held together. Your balls should be about 100 g or ~3 oz - significantly larger than this, and the sugars will burn before the interior is completely cooked through.
Working one at a time in your hands, begin flattening the balls out into patties around 3/4" thick - the edges will likely look somewhat scraggly, but try to keep them contained to a degree. The contrast of crispy edges and more solid interior is a great element to the dish, but too much and it will clash. Carefully place into the hot oil and fry.
I generally just batch fry these and keep the rest warm in a warm oven on the draining rack. If cooking in a pan, they will generally fry for 5-6 minutes per side (remember a low frying temperature), in a wok/deep fry situation, they will be done in about 7-8 minutes total since you aren't really having to flip that much.
Garnish with the pico de gallo, pickled red onions, some optional chopped cilantro, and flaky salt. Enjoy!