Savory Zucchini + Corn Waffle Fritters
Jon made it his mission this year to build a raised bed in our backyard. He ended up crafting a very impressive structure from recycled wood pallets, and eventually planted tons of different veggies. And…drum roll please…yesterday, he proudly harvested his first home-grown zucchini!
Obviously what happened next was him tasking me to make something out of said zucchini. He suggested zucchini cakes, but I really wasn’t in the mood to stand over the stove flipping cakes all night. I quickly realized I could probably make something similar, possibly even better, in the waffle iron. Can you tell I'm on a bit of a waffle kick lately?
Anyhow, I started Googling and came across a recipe on Food52 for Waffled Zucchini Parmesan Fritters, which served as a perfect inspirational blueprint. After making a variety of modifications and additions to the original recipe, I ended up with these savory little bites that are part fritter, part waffle, and completely ideal for using up an abundance of summer produce.
Savory Zucchini + Corn Waffle Fritters
Makes 8 pieces
2 cups shredded zucchini
Kosher salt
1 ear raw corn
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk because it’s what I had)
1 TB ground flax seed
2 TB fresh chives, minced
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus a bit more for garnish
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ to ½ tsp garlic powder (depending on how much garlic flavor you’d like)
freshly-ground black pepper
neutral oil for greasing the waffle iron
sour cream and chives, for garnish
Place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Cut the corn kernels away from the cob and set aside. Let the salted zucchini sit in the colander (over a bowl or in the sink) for about 30 minutes.
Once the zucchini has finished draining, rinse well with cold water and press out as much of the liquid as possible. Transfer to a lint-free towel and squeeze the remaining liquid from the zucchini. Set aside and preheat the waffle iron.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flax seed, chives, and the ½ cup of shredded cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the contents of the small bowl into the large bowl, followed by the zucchini and the corn, and stir with a spatula until everything is well-combined.
Brush the waffle iron liberally with oil. Place ¼ cup of the batter into each quadrant of the waffle iron, leaving room for the fritters to spread slightly. Close the lid and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes or until fritters have puffed up and are golden-brown. Serve warm topped with more shredded cheese and chives, and a bit of sour cream if desired.
