He may have a disturbing penchant for orange Crocs, but I'll give him this: Mario Batali knows a thing or two about good food. I was recently craving some rustic Italian deliciousness, but I unfortunately wasn't able to stop by Eataly for the best focaccia I've ever tasted (and the most reasonably-priced thing you can buy there, I might add). Instead, I decided to try out this Batali recipe from Food & Wine.
Simple, elegant, a tad garlicky and of course, fried. Delicious. This dish makes a great appetizer - I'd recommend squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice over it just before eating, or pairing it with a side of spicy marinara sauce for dipping.
zucchini-ricotta fritters
makes 20 fritters
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used fat-free and it still tasted delicious!)
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper
2 medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each), coarsely shredded
olive oil for frying
3 large scallions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon wedges for garnish (optional)
Simple, elegant, a tad garlicky and of course, fried. Delicious. This dish makes a great appetizer - I'd recommend squeezing a bit of fresh lemon juice over it just before eating, or pairing it with a side of spicy marinara sauce for dipping.
zucchini-ricotta fritters
makes 20 fritters
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used fat-free and it still tasted delicious!)
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper
2 medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each), coarsely shredded
olive oil for frying
3 large scallions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon wedges for garnish (optional)
In a large bowl, combine zucchini, garlic, shallots, ricotta, eggs, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir well, then stir in the flour until incorporated. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil. Working in batches, add 2-tablespoon mounds of the batter to the pan, spreading them to form 3-inch fritters. Fry over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about three minutes. Drain the fritters on the paper towels and serve right away. The fritters can be made ahead, kept at room temperature for up to two hours and recrisped in a 325° oven.
Recipe from Food + Wine via Mario Batali
-S
