- Zucchinis–about 2 large or 3 regular size. Shred with a mandolin, grater, or food processor.
- 1 medium potato, shredded.
- Salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup of grated Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green onion, half shallot, and/or 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley, mint, or any mild green herb
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, more as needed
Cooking instructions
- Squeeze out the water of zucchinis and potatoes really well before mixing the other ingredients. How? You can try using a salad spinner. I let the shredded zucchini sweat in a colander, wrap them in a tea towel, and twist until the towel is totally wrung out.
- Combine zucchini, potato, and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, grated Romano cheese, olive oil, scallions, herb(s), and black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, salt, and mix again.
- Form into patties approximately 3/8-inch-thick and about 3 inches in diameter.
- There are two ways to cook these patties, a-fry in a cast iron pan or oven-fry. The trick to these patties is to make them super crispy.
- Pan fry—heat 2 Tablespoons of oil until it glistens. Place the patties in the pan and fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side, adding more oil to pan as needed. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so patties get quite crisp, Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm in oven.
- Oven fry– Preheat oven to 400F, 375F for the convection setting. Brush the patties with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Take them out half-way through cooking and flip them over to ensure an even golden color. It may take 15-20 total to cook the batch. Your ovens may vary the cooking time.
OPTIONAL YOGURT SAUCE
- ⅔ cup plain yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Dried or chopped fresh dill to taste
- Squeeze of lemon and salt to taste