Tag Archives: aioli

Zucchini Fritters

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This recipe came directly from Smitten Kitchen (another wordpress site) and strangely enough (for me) I didn’t change it!

Zucchini Fritters 2

Crispy craggy bits of zucchini are a great contrast to the creamy aioli dip.

 

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready.

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor. The latter is my favorite as I’m convinced it creates the coarsest and most rope-like strands and frankly, I like my fritters to look like mops.

Zucchini fritters 3

In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. You’ll be shocked (I was!) by the amount of liquid you’ll lose, but this is a good thing as it will save the fritters from sogginess.

Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and if you think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses down the drain), add a little bit more; we found 1/4 teaspoon more just right. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet — cast iron is dreamy here — heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. I like to make sure that the fritters have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.

Zucchini Fritters 1

Creamy Lemon Aioli

  • 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp minced basil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Blend it all together, and allow to sit in the fridge until fritters are ready.

Beer Batter Fish & Chips

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It took me long enough to perfect my batter recipe.   Finally discovered the secret (well, for me anyway) and it was to add some rice flour to the batter.  This created a lighter batter that was bursting with flavour, and had a very satisfying crunch when you bite into it.  This may be a treat that we only indulge in once in a long while, but when we do we want it to be totally satisfying.

Another hint …… make sure you fry your potatoes twice to get a nice crunch on them.  Once you have slivered them, fry initially at 325 degrees, just until soft – barely cooked through.  Remove from the fry oil and allow to cool, on a drain rack.

Fries

Something so satisfying about home fries, fresh out of the deep fry and crispy.  Make sure to season with salt & pepper as soon as they are tumbled onto the draining paper.

My trick is to do the first fry, and while the fish is frying they cool down – then the oil will already be at your higher temperature and they can pop into the fryer for the final few minutes, which makes them golden brown and crunchy.  Keep your fish warm in a 225 F oven while the second fry takes place.

Ketchup is the usual French fry dip I think, but not for me – I like an aioli, super easy and tastes way better!

lemon basil aioli

Only takes a few ingredients, and a few minutes to make, and this Lemon Basil Aioli is an amazing dip for fries, raw vegetables, or pretty much anything you have a mind to dip into it.

LEMON BASIL AIOLI

  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup good mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp basil (minced)
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
  • squeeze of lemon juice

Give it all a good mix up and you’re done.  Keeps in the fridge really well too.

 

BEER BATTER

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

Beer battered cod fillets:

  • 4  thick cod fillets
  • 1 cup all purpose white flour
  • 3/4 cup rice flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup soda water
  • 3/4 cup lager (or your favourite beer)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  1. In a large bowl, mix both flours, baking powder, salt and sugar.
  2. Add soda water & beer. (if not a fan of beer (?) just use all soda water)
  3. Mix together only until the batter binds together and is smooth. Be careful not to over-mix. (you may need to add a bit more liquid)
  4. Cover your fish with salt & pepper, as well as a dusting of plain flour, then drop into the batter and coat completely.
  5. Pre-heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350 F.
  6. Once fish is coated with batter, gently place into the deep fryer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
  7. Remove from fat and drain.

TARTAR SAUCE

  • 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons small-diced pickles or cornichons
  • 1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
  • Pinch kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Tartar Sauce

Combine all ingredients in small food processor and whir it all up.  Done.  Of course, if you don’t have a food processor, just chop up the pickles and stir it all together.  Either way, it’s delicious.  I got this from Ina Garten’s recipe collection, so of course it is good!

Tartar Sauce 1

Just looking at it makes you want to dip some freshly fried fish in, right?

Crab Cakes with Horseradish Aioli

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Crab cakes are one of our favourite appetizers to get when eating out …. this is an easy to create appetizer at home, or make slightly larger – serve with a great big tossed salad – amazing bread, and you have a complete meal.

Delicious crab cakes, served with horseradish aioli.

Delicious crab cakes, served with horseradish aioli.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (green and white bits)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Blend well together, and gently stir in:
1 pound lump crabmeat (take care to pick through it to make sure it is shell free)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

In separate bowl combine:
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 pound of crab meat should make about 16 small cakes (appetizer size) or 8 larger cakes.

Form crab meat mixture into balls, and press each ball into the panko crumbs to coat.

Set aside in fridge to allow them to set up.

The crab cakes can be done to this stage, and kept in fridge until the next day.

Heat fry pan, and add 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp vegetable oil. When foam has subsided, add crab cakes and heat through for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping gently. Do not crowd the pan, fry in batches if necessary.

Horseradish Aioli

1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp horseradish
1/2 tsp smoked garlic powder (or roasted garlic)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Blend all ingredients well, and allow to sit in the fridge so that the flavours develop.

Serve crab cakes with aioli, sprinkled with a few cilantro sprigs.

Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Mustard Aioli

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Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Herb Aioli

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon (1 lemon) freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs – flat leaf parsley, basil & chives
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  1. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. If you have really juicy zucchini, make sure to drain out liquid by allowing it to rest in strainer, or wrap in a towel and squeeze liquid out. Add salt, lemon zest, chopped herbs, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.

  3. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired.

  4. Serve with lemon/herb/mustard aioli.

Aioli:  Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp grainy dijon mustard, 1 tsp horseradish, juice of 1/2 a lemon, generous amount of freshly chopped herbs.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.