Why This Recipe Works

Zucchini is a notoriously waterlogged vegetable, so trying to make a crispy fritter out of it was a challenge. To solve the problem, we salted shredded zucchini to begin the water extraction process and then squeezed the lot of it as dry as possible in a dish towel. To mitigate even more moisture, we added cornstarch to our batter, along with feta cheese, eggs, and fresh herbs for seasoning. To fry the fritters, we used a hefty amount of vegetable oil in a hot, nonstick skillet; this got the exterior nice and crispy. What we ended up with was a delicious pancake-like fritter that was crunchy on the outside and tender and flavorful on the inside.

Before You Begin

We prefer to use young, small zucchini—about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. If you use larger zucchini, you may drain off more liquid in step 2.

Instructions

for the sauce

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Add scallion whites and salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in orange juice and sugar and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and orange zest and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens, cover, and keep warm.

for the fritters

Line large bowl with clean dish towel. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater into prepared bowl. Stir in salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Gather ends of towel to form bundle and twist to squeeze zucchini as dry as possible (you should squeeze off about 1 cup liquid). Discard liquid and return zucchini to bowl (without towel). Stir cornstarch into zucchini until fully incorporated. Stir in feta, egg, mint, dill, garlic, and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop 6 scant 1/4-cup portions of batter into pan. Gently press each fritter to 2 1/2-inch diameter using back of spoon or rubber spatula. Cook until well browned and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Let drain on paper towels, 30 seconds per side, then transfer to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining batter. Serve with sauce.