Broccoli Parmesan Fritters Recipe

"A fabulous recipe from SmittenKitchen.com. The author of the blog, Deb, says: " There’s a lot of broccoli and very little pancake in this fritter. The broccoli is not grated or pureed, but left in small, recognizable bits that are bound lightly, faintly, to their batter of egg, parmesan and flour. And when you cook them right — that is, to a crisp, in a preheated, heavy, oil-slicked skillet — they get a fantastic crisp edge to them." Enjoy!"

Original is 4 servings

Metric US

I've Tried It

Ingredients

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8 ounces fresh broccoli (about 3 cups chopped)
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Oil (for frying)

Nutritional

Serving Size: 1 (97.2 g)
Calories 253.5
Total Fat - 15.2 g
Saturated Fat - 6 g
Cholesterol - 98.1 mg
Sodium - 410.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate - 12.5 g
Dietary Fiber - 0.4 g
Sugars - 0.2 g
Protein - 15.5 g
Calcium - 104.1 mg
Iron - 1 mg
Vitamin C - 0.6 mg
Thiamin - 0.4 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Separate the brocolli florets from the thick stalks. Cut the florets into 1-inch chunks. Peel the stems, since the skin can be thick and doesn’t cook quickly, then slice them into 1/2-inch lengths. You should have about 3 cups of chopped broccoli total.

Step 2

Steam the broccoli until tender but not mushy: Use whatever method you prefer. Drain the broccoli, then set it aside to cool slightly.

Step 3

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 want 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.

Step 4

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium 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 about two tablespoons 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 they are brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 5

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

Step 6

To serve: I like these with a dollop of the garlicky lemon yogurt I share here, roughly 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tiny minced clove of garlic, a bit of zest and salt. It would also be good with homemade ricotta, with or without additional lemon juice. I think I’d also enjoy them with a little crumbled feta on top. Oh, and of course, you can put a runny fried egg on top of it. But I don’t need to tell you that!