CHARD AND CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS
Ingredients
- 3 chard leaves with stems
- ½ head small cauliflower
- ¼ small yellow onion diced
- 1¼ cup flour
- 2¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg separated
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil plus oil for frying
FOR SERVING
- 1 cup yogurt
- Zest of 1 lime
Instructions
- Cut stems from chard leaves, chop stems, and squeeze out excess moisture in a towel. Set aside.
- Fill a sauce pan with water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Blanch the cauliflower until tender. Remove and drain. Blanch chard leaves in the same water until cooked through. Remove and drain. Chop cauliflower and chard leaves to a medium size. In a towel, squeeze excess moisture out of chard leaves and cauliflower.
- In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil and sauté chopped chard stems and diced onion together until cooked through. Set aside.
- Pour 2 inches of peanut oil into a heavy bottomed, high-sided pan. Heat to 340°.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cumin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, and oil.
- In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff.
- Add flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture along with all the cooked chard, cauliflower, chard stems, and onion. Fold in egg whites.
- Using a teaspoon, drop batter into hot oil. Don’t overcrowd. When golden brown, remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Repeat until all batter is used.
- Serve hot with a dipping sauce of yogurt with lime zest.
Chef Brett LaMott, Café Maddalena in Dunsmuir