The best frittelle (zucchini fritters) recipe
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09.05.2019

The best frittelle (zucchini fritters) recipe

Recipe by Georgia Spanos from 'When the Tomatoes Are Ready'

Zucchini plants are just as prominent in our garden as tomatoes or basil. They are essential in Italian cooking together with the gorgeous flowers that grow with them.

The bright orange petals of the zucchini flowers, which are thrown into the batter, create a beautiful touch to these little bundles. Enjoy these zucchini fritters while hot and crispy, but be careful. When we were growing up, we would burn our mouths, as we were too eager to let them cool down.

Makes 30–40

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of zucchini (courgettes), grated
  • 4–5 zucchini flowers, coarsely chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100g or 1 cup of grated parmesan
  • 2 good pinches of salt
  • 150g of plain flour
  • 35g of self-raising flour
  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine the zucchini, zucchini flowers, eggs, parmesan and salt. Mix thoroughly.
  2. Gradually add flour to the mixture, handful by handful, while mixing the ingredients together.
  3. Pour a thick layer of vegetable oil into a large frying pan (enough for shallow-to-medium frying) and place over medium heat.
  4. Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small amount of mixture into the oil. If the mixture starts to fry immediately, the oil is ready. The oil must be very hot for the fritelle to crisp.
  5. Drop generous tablespoons of mixture into the oil and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
  6. Tip: As you get to the end of your mixture, you may end up with a bit of excess zucchini liquid. At this point, throw in a handful of plain flour and combine. This will bring the mixture back to a good consistency.
  7. Fry the fritelle for one minute each side or until they’re brown and crisp. Once fried, transfer the fritelles to a paper towel to drain.

These can be served as an appetiser or for breakfast. They’re best eaten while hot and crispy. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three to four days.

For more authentic Italian recipes, check out When the Tomatoes Are Ready by Georgia Spanos.