Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Herb Sour Cream

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This fritter recipe comes from CSA member Margaret Sutherland, who tested out a couple recipes to find the very best one! She shares her thoughts and tips here:

“The second batch I tried was from Serious Eats, and it was more ambitious in ingredients, adding raw corn cut off the cob (I love eating corn that way in salads) and other tasty stuff including shredded cheese. These were our favourites. The next time I make it I am going to replace a quarter of the cup of flour with masa corn flour to really bring out the corn taste. Half of it was the frozen squash. The sauce is really tasty, I made it with slightly drained yogurt. There were at least enough for 4 people.

Both recipes recommend you salt the shredded squash, let drain 10 minutes in a colander, then gather it up in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the water. I second the recommendation. You’ll be amazed how much water comes out.”

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Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Herb Sour Cream

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Herb Sour Cream:

  • 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest about half a lemon
  • 3 tbsp fresh basil leaves minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives minced
  • 1 anchovy fillet finely minced (optional; omit to keep the dish vegetarian)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Fritters:

  • 2 pounds or 900 g; about 4 medium zucchini or other summer squash ends trimmed
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • 2 ears corn kernels cut from cob (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 large garlic clove grated or minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup Gruyère or cheddar cheese shredded
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  1. For the Herb Sour Cream: In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream (or yogurt), lemon zest, basil, chives, and anchovy (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. For the Fritters: Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C) and set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, or use the shredding blade of a food processor. Transfer shredded zucchini to colander set over a bowl or in the sink. Repeat with the onion, then add to the zucchini.
  3. Toss zucchini and onion with 1 teaspoon salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Using your hands or a clean dish towel, squeeze out as much of the liquid from the zucchini and onion as possible. Transfer zucchini mixture to a large bowl and add corn kernels. Stir in eggs, garlic, black pepper, flour, baking powder, and shredded cheese until thoroughly combined and no dry flour remains.
  4. In a large cast iron or heavy stainless steel skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, carefully drop scant 1/3 cupful of the zucchini batter into the skillet, then press down on them with the cup to flatten them to about 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Cook until the bottom side is golden brown, about 4 minutes (the corn will have a tendency to pop in the hot pan, so be careful; you may want to use a splatter guard or lid to shield yourself). If the fritters darken too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer fritters to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping the pan well-oiled as you go.
  6. Serve fritters warm, with a dollop of herb sour cream on top.