I’ll be honest: zucchini (or courgette as we call it in the UK) is not a vegetable I really liked as a child. In fairness to my childhood self, I ate everything from as young as I remember. And I did still eat zucchini, just more reluctantly.
I found out a few years later that it was just the way my mum used to cook it that made it a bit bitter (to her credit, she has changed these days).
These days, I love it as grilled and marinated zucchini in the summer, then roasted or pan-fried in the winter. They’re also a versatile ingredient for both sweet treats like my Meyer lemon zucchini muffins and chocolate zucchini muffins and savory dishes like lemon risotto and grilled butternut squash, zucchini, and steak with chimichurri sauce.
My kids are following in my footsteps and are still skeptical of zucchini. My older one will take it grilled, sometimes, but the younger one is having none of it. So, I’d try mixing it with some other favorites to see if I had better luck.
TIPS FOR PERFECT ZUCCHINI CORN FRITTERS
- Coarsely, rather than finely grate the zucchini and onion – it will give a better texture.
- Make sure you squeeze out excess liquid from the onions and zucchini – there’s more water than you might think, and if left in, the cakes will be very soft and won’t crisp up.
- Once you spoon the mixture into the pan, press the cakes with the back of a spatula to help the mixture hold together well.
- Don’t be tempted to turn them too soon – wait until you can see a little browning underneath; they will flip more easily if browned enough.
WAYS TO CHANGE UP THESE FRITTERS
- I used a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan in there – mozzarella for texture and parmesan for a rounder flavor – but you can experiment with different cheeses. You can also add some light fresh or dried herbs, for example, dried thyme, fresh basil, or dill.
- These are easy to make gluten-free by switching to a gluten-free four. A blend should work well, but I also plan to try these with chickpea flour as they should come out well, similar to pakora.
These zucchini corn fritters are a great way to use up that mound of summer produce in tasty little bites that everyone will enjoy. Great as a side or appetizer, give them a try and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 11 1/2 oz zucchini (approx two medium zucchini
- 1/2 onion
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup corn from approximately one ear of corn
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella ( 1/2 cup approx 2oz)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan ( 1/3 cup approx 3/4oz0
- One egg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour plain flour
- One teaspoon of baking powder
- One pinch pepper
- olive oil for frying
- sour cream and paprika to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Trim the end off the zucchini, peel the onion, then coarsely grate both. Put them into a colander and sprinkle over some salt. Toss and leave while you prepare the rest.
- If using fresh corn, peel and remove the kernels from the cob. If using frozen/can, make sure it is defrosted and well drained.
- Coarsely grate the mozzarella and grate the parmesan relatively finely.
- Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the zucchini and onion, and discard the liquid. Put the drained zucchini and onion in a bowl with the corn, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, flour, baking powder, and pepper. Mix well so well combined, and ingredients seem evenly distributed without breaking up the zucchini too much.
- Warm a thin layer of olive oil in a medium skillet/frying pan over medium heat (you can do more/less at once in a smaller/bigger skillet, as you find easier to manage). Put spoonfuls of the mixture into the skillet and press them down with a spatula/fish slice to gently flatten.
- Leave the cakes to cook for a couple of minutes (around 3, but it will depend a little on the pan/heat) until you can see the underside starting to brown. Turn it over and cook it for a couple more minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside, ideally covered, while you cook further batches.
- Suggest serving with a little sour cream and paprika on top or just as they are.