Russian Cabbage Fritters

These are a lot like the Fried Cauliflower Mexican Style I posted back in the dawn of history. Like the cauliflower, they are a good light vegetarian main dish but would also be nice with simply cooked fish or chicken. Unlike the cauliflower, you can have it in February.

If I was serving these as a main dish, I think I would want them with a dollop of something. Sour cream seems suitably Russian, but in the spirit of cross-cultural cuisine I would not say no to a drizzle of oyster sauce or even ketchup. A little smoky paprika when you are seasoning would be tasty as well.

It's hard to give measurements for this, because it will all depend on your cabbage pieces and how full of nooks and crannies they are, and the size of eggs does vary too. Especially for me these days as I am using duck eggs. The amount made below, with one egg, will be a generous serving for 1 person and may stretch to 2 people if served as a side dish with other things.

scale-able per egg
30 minutes prep time

2 or 3 3" x 4" wedges of cabbage
1 large egg
1 tablespoon flour
salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon water 
mild vegetable oil to fry

Put a pot of salted water on to boil, sufficient to hold the cabbage wedges easily.

Use Savoy or green cabbage from a small head, and by small I mean your wedges should not be more than 4" in width or length, and not much more than an inch at the thickest. Cut it into wedges - probably 12 to the head but only cut as many as you need - making sure each wedge has some of the core in it to hold it together in one piece. Keep any leaves that fall off for some other recipe.

When the water boils gently drop in the cabbage wedges and boil for 4 or 5 minutes until bright green and just tender. Remove them carefully with blunt tongs to a strainer and drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the flour until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin the batter with the water.

Heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan generously. Dip the cabbage wedges into the batter and lay them in the oil when it is hot enough to sizzle. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned on each side. Do them in batches if necessary, and pour any leftover batter onto them as they cook. You can keep them warm in a 200°F oven, but unless you are doing more than 2 batches they cook so quickly I wouldn't bother.




Last year at this time I made Endive & Carrot Salad with Hazelnuts & Cranberries.

Posted in: Ontario Food