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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

    Published: Dec 28, 2012 · Modified: Apr 24, 2013 by Ashley

    This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Since I ended up finishing my work early today, I decided that I'd have time to make a side for the Slow-Cooker Balsamic Roast Beef that I put together this morning. I saw this recipe over on Smitten Kitchen, and thought it sounded great. I love busting out the cast iron skillet, and I don't think I've ever had fritters made of broccoli, so I was glad to give it a try. These are packed with broccoli, and pretty easy to put together. I used one of the sauce recipes that Deb has on her blog - she has a few different suggestions to accompany these fritters. I used sour cream and really enjoyed the tanginess that it added.

    Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

    Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
    Smitten Kitchen

    Yield: 9 (because my recipes never want to grace us with neat, well-rounded numbers) 2 to 2 ½-inch fritters

    Fritters:
    8 ounces (1 small-to-medium bundle, 225 grams) fresh broccoli (3 cups chopped)
    1 large egg
    ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
    ⅓ cup (30 grams) finely grated parmesan cheese
    1 small clove garlic, minced
    ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
    A pinch of red pepper flakes or several grinds of black pepper
    Olive or vegetable oil for frying

    Sauce:
    1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
    1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
    Pinches of salt
    1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

    Prepare your broccoli: Separate the florets from the biggest stem(s). Cut the florets into 1-inch chunks. To prepare the stems, I like to peel them, as the skin can be thick and doesn’t cook quickly, then slice them into ½-inch lengths. You should have about 3 cups of chopped broccoli total.

    Steam your broccoli until tender but not mushy: Use whatever method you prefer. My quickie, lazy method is to bring a ½-inch or so of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add the broccoli, place a lid on it and simmer it for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the broccoli, then set it aside to cool slightly.

    In the bottom of a large bowl, lightly beat your egg. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add the somewhat cooled broccoli and, using a potato masher, mash the broccoli just a bit. You’re looking to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (¼- to ½-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir or fold the ingredients together the rest of the way with a spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste.

    Heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add a good slick of oil (I usually use a mix of olive and vegetable oil), about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot (you can test it by flicking a droplet of water into it; it should hiss and sputter), scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

    Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then to a serving plate if you’ll be eating them shortly or a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven if you’d like to keep them warm for a while until needed. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.

    Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

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    Comments

    1. Joanne

      December 30, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      I've been meaning to make these but just haven't found the right dish to pair them with. Now I"m thinking maybe I should just forge ahead and eat them as a main dish!

      Reply

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