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Herby Cauliflower Fritters

4.8

(10)

Cauliflower Fritters on a grey platter
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Tim Ferro

These herby cauliflower fritters call on a clever shortcut ingredient to make prepping a breeze: frozen riced cauliflower. Yes, the now ubiquitous (and often unfulfilling) “replacement” for rice creates the ideal base for these flavorful, moreish fritters, removing the frozen staple from its low-carb confines and allowing its true culinary merits to shine. Here the riced cauliflower is mixed with tender herbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs to create a meatball-like mixture that gets formed into patties and fried until crisp and golden. Paired with a zippy lemon yogurt and scattered with sliced red onions and even more herbs, they make an ideal vegetarian dinner.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    30 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1⅓ cups whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
1 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; plus more for drizzling
2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
1 10-oz. bag frozen riced cauliflower
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1½ cups)
1 cup panko
¾ cup finely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as dill, chives, and/or parsley), plus leaves for serving
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more
¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1½ cups baby arugula

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk together 1⅓ cups whole-milk Greek yogurt, 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, finely grated, 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl. Taste sauce and season with more salt if needed. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Cook one 10-oz. bag frozen riced cauliflower according to package directions until very tender. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Add 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1½ cups), 1 cup panko, ¾ cup finely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as dill, chives, and/or parsley), 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, remaining 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and remaining 2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest. Using clean hands, mix and knead slightly to smash cauliflower pieces into panko until texture is uniform. Spoon out 2-tablespoonful portions; roll into smooth balls. (You should have about 14.)

    Step 3

    Heat ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook balls in a single layer, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath and fritters release easily, about 3 minutes. Turn onto opposite side; cook until golden brown underneath, about 3 minutes. Shake pan to encourage balls onto an unbrowned side (fritters will have flattened slightly); cook, turning occasionally to brown, just until firm, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Step 4

    Toss ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1½ cups baby arugula, and some herb leaves in a medium bowl to combine. Drizzle with oil, season with salt, and toss again to coat.

    Step 5

    Spread reserved sauce over a platter and arrange fritters on top. Scatter salad over; season with pepper.

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