Marathokeftedes: Greek Fennel Fritters

Contains:  Gluten/wheat.  Is:  Vegetarian, quick and easy.  Vegan if one uses coconut or other alternative yogurt.   Quick and easy.   

Apologies for the dearth of recent recipes.   Been busy, which makes for an accurate excuse.   At any case, we are getting back into what is still currently my favorite European cuisine.   There will be another Greek recipe, made some days back, but I wanted to have a vegetarian, potentially vegan, recipe in between.  

This Greek fennel fritter recipe was originally sourced here.  It hails from Tinos Island.  I essentially only modified the type of cooking oil used, and halved the recipe. 

The recipe called for self-rising flour.   I only had all-purpose, so I added the appropriate amount of salt and baking powder.   The Spruce Eats has a good formula for that. 

The onion came from my own yard.  I wish I could say the same about more of the ingredients!

These can be served as either appetizers or sides, but today they’re my lunch…

Prep Time:  15 minute. 
Cook Time:  5 minutes per batch.  
Rest Time:  Until cool enough to bite. 
Serves:  Around 8 as appetizers.  
Cuisine:  Greek.
Leftovers:   May be a bit mushy if re-heated in a microwave.  Batter can be saved to fry on a separate day.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.25 cups self rising flour   (OR 1.25 cups all purpose flour + 1.75 teaspoons baking powder + 0.33 teaspoons salt). 
• 1/2  large onion, or one small onion – finely chopped
• 2 scallions/spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 mid sized fennel bulb with stems, finely chopped.   Reserve the fronds, but chop them, too.  
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
• a healthy cooking oil for frying.   (I ended up with grapeseed oil.   Peanut oil could work – absent peanut allergies.

METHOD:

Finely chop the onion, scallions and fennel.

Place into a large bowl and add the flour, along with some water and stir until this all incorporates.   Add more water as needed, but keep the batter thick.  Add pepper, and a little salt as needed.   Continue to incorporate. 

In a snak pan add enough oil to fry the fritters.  Heat to medium high.  

Spoon a heaping spoonful of batter, a few portions at a time, into the cooking oil.  Don’t over-add, but judge by the  surface area of your pot.  You don’t want your fritters becoming large merging fritters through this process!  Nothing wrong with making multiple batches.  

Fry the fritters until color/browning develops.  Do not blacken.   

 Remove and place on a paper towel, to absorb the extra oil.

Serve hot with sprigs of fennel and fresh yogurt or labne.  If you don’t consume dairy, use something like coconut yogurt. 

Shared with:  

Full Plate Thursday.

Fiesta Friday.

Meatless Monday.