Cauliflower Fritters

Ah, fritters. I've always loved them, and these ones have cauliflower and cheese. Can't go wrong with that!

I didn't feel like I was using a lot of materials to make this, but the final fritter count was fairly impressive - I got 21, and I think I should have made them even a bit smaller and gotten more. Next time for the 2 of us, I would make half a recipe. That's still a pretty substantial fritter feast. Given how rich they are, it's better to serve them as an appetizer to a good lot of people, I would think. Should you ever be able to assemble a good lot of people in one place again, of course, which is not looking like any time soon.

You could easily make these with leftover cooked cauliflower, or at any rate it could be cooked in advance. Once the cauliflower is ready, it takes minutes to make the batter and then you are frying. It takes attention, and there are a lot of them to do, but they cook quite quickly. I soon had a routine going.

A few years back I got a cast iron aebleskiver pan (also known as an appam pan; or close enough) and it is great for making little tidbits that seem - are, really - deep fried without using great gobs of oil. Anything frittery, or doughnut-like is terrific made in it. I keep meaning to use it more, so here's something to get me started.

4 to 12 servings (24 to 36 fritters)
20 minutes prep time to cook cauliflower
30 minutes prep time to cook fritters

3 cups finely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup chick pea flour
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives. 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or similar cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt (less if cheese is salty)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium eggs
+ milk to 2/3 cup
mild vegetable oil to fry

Wash and trim the cauliflower, and cut it into small florets. Cook in boiling water until tender; about 6 minutes. Drain very well, let cool enough to handle, then chop finely.

In a mixing bowl, put the flour, minced chives, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Break the eggs into a measuring cup and stir them with a fork. Add enough milk to make the total volume of the two things 2/3 cup - it won't be very much milk.

Mix the milk and eggs into the flour to make a smooth batter. Mix in the finely chopped cauliflower.

Heat some oil, ideally in an aebleskiver pan; a teaspoon or so into each depression. Otherwise, use a fairly deep but not too big skillet and put a generous 1/4" on the bottom. When the oil is hot, drop the batter in by fairly small spoonfuls, to form little fritters. Cook them until well browned and firm, turning them to cook on the other side when half done. The heat should be medium; you want them to cook through to the middle which means they should not brown instantly, but you do want them to get brown.

Put them onto a rack (a perforated pizza pan is good) lined with paper towel as they are done, continuing to cook the remaining batter and adding a little more oil if needed. Keep them hot in a 200°F oven, but serve them as soon as possible.

Posted in: Ontario Food