Zucchini fritters.
Today I share with you one of the traditional recipes from my homeland, Calabria – zucchini fritters, or pittelluzze. They are fried but not greasy, tasty and light, unmistakable in flavor because they are made with products from my land, from mom’s garden. Zucchini fritters are a classic in Calabrian cuisine, much like eggplant meatballs. In summer, they compete for the title of the most appearances on our tables. It’s a tough competition, and I can’t tell you who wins, but I can say that both recipes are unique in flavor. They are hard to replicate unless you get all the ingredients directly from the Calabrian countryside, or something very similar, like good pecorino cheese, fresh zucchini from the garden, and eggs from free-range hens roaming the courtyard. These are simple but genuine ingredients. That’s the only difference, and I tell you this as someone who obviously can’t always go to mom’s garden. When I buy my ingredients elsewhere, I already feel the difference, even if it’s just a few kilometers away, but I’ll give you all the tips to make them as good as mine. Moreover, they’re fried, but not greasy or saturated with oil. They’re so light, you won’t even realize you’ve eaten them.
I forgot, another great classic that competes for the podium with the fritters and eggplant meatballs is the potato meatballs. What an outrageous delight!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Zucchini Fritters for 4 People
- 3 Zucchini
- 2 Eggs
- 5 tablespoons Flour
- to taste Pecorino
- to taste Parmesan cheese
- to taste Salt
- to taste Black pepper
- to taste Parsley
- to taste Vegetable oil
Tools to Prepare Calabrian Zucchini Fritters
- Mandoline
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Frying pan
Preparation of Zucchini Fritters
Wash the zucchini, slice them thinly with a mandoline, and let them sit in a bowl. Lightly salt them and let them stay like this for at least half an hour, or even more if you prefer.
Once the zucchini have released some liquid, we proceed to prepare the fritters. In the same bowl, add all the ingredients: 1 egg, ground pepper, the cheese mix of pecorino and Parmesan, without discarding the liquid that has formed. Add enough flour to achieve a soft batter consistency, being careful not to add too much so the fritters don’t taste only of flour.
Fry them in a pan with abundant and hot oil at 356°F (180°C) by spoonfuls, keeping them well spaced apart. When they are golden, turn them and cook the other side. As they are ready, dry them on paper towels, always using clean towels each time, to remove excess oil and then transfer them to a serving tray to keep them crispy and not greasy.
They are excellent hot, just made, but even cold they are not bad. We can keep them warm in the oven, perfect to serve for an aperitif or as an appetizer for all our special occasions.
Here in Calabria, they never miss a Sunday lunch, they’re delicious, and we are all crazy about them.
