It’s hard not to love these addictive fritters made with garden fresh broccoli and umami rich Parmigiano Reggiano. Perfect for a picnic or potluck, they’ll taste great both hot and at room temperature. Tuck them into crusty bread for a great sandwich, or serve with a crisp green salad for something lighter!
Serves 2-4 (makes approximately 9 fritters)
Recipe adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh broccoli (about 3 cups chopped)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 small clove garlic, minced or 1 rehydrated Maranatha Farm Garlic Coin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes, or several grinds of black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, for frying
Method
- Prepare your broccoli: Separate the florets from the biggest stem(s) and cut the florets into 1-inch chunks. Peel any thick stems, then slice them into 1/2-inch lengths. You should have about 3 cups of chopped broccoli total.
- Bring ½ - 1” 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 the 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 (1/4- to 1/2-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 about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil (either extra virgin olive or avocado oil, or a combination of both). 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.