Sometimes episode themes are easy to choose, and sometimes they grow a little more organically. Our alliterative episode this week, Fritters, Falafel, and Fishcakes, was absolutely the latter. Not to say we’re disappointed. Little cakes of fried goodness are always welcome at our dinner table. We hope you find a bit of crispy cake to love with a baked falafel recipe, a tender fritter with ham and zucchini, or a classic, comforting fishcake. We sure did!
Classic Fish Cakes, Crispy Falafel, and Zucchini, Ham, and Ricotta Fritters
Classic Fish Cakes: The Daring Gourmet
Fish cakes can be made all types of ways, with all types of fish and seafood. This cake is all about the comforting goodness of potatoes, whitefish, and a little crunch from panko breadcrumbs. Nothing fancy but certainly delicious.
Tips:
- Make sure to give yourself time to chill the fishcakes. They’re pretty delicate and can use the half hour in the refrigerator.
- These cakes are a great use for planned leftovers. Dinner one night could be baked fish and potatoes and a couple days later make the fish cakes.
- More economical cuts of haddock, cod, or similar fish are great options for this fish cake. Betsy used frozen filets and Kate had the fishmonger give her the ends of nicer filets.
Crispy Falafel: Cookie and Kate
Falafel is one of our favorite takeaway foods. Crispy outside, fluffy inside, and all the toppings you want. With all this time at home, and a whole lot of beans in our pantry, we decided to make our own. While nothing beats deep fried, we thought these falafel had the flavor and crunch we were craving.
Tips:
- Grease up your sheet pan well; the crispy texture comes from the oil.
- Betsy made a double batch and it was worth it.
- Canned chickpeas won’t work as well here as the patties might fall apart. Use soaked beans for best results.
Zucchini, Ham, and Ricotta Fritters: Smitten Kitchen
Light and tender fritters filled with zucchini and ham, these savory pancakes were perfect with a side salad. If you like this recipe, join us over at Donna Hay's website for a whole new place to find delicious dinners.
Tips:
- Spread out the batter into an even layer on the skillet. This will help it cook through evenly.
- Shredded or matchstick zucchini worked well.
- An extra smear of ricotta on top of the pancake wasn’t a bad thing...just as a hint. Hot sauce was also pretty darn good.
- The fritters reheated well the next day but we don’t think they would freeze well. The zucchini would likely cause the pancakes to get wet as it thaws.
- Donna Hay is the original inspiration for these fritters. Check out her website for a ton of delicious recipes.
From the Smorgasbord:
The Dinner Sisters are continuing learning and growing. We are revising our mission statement to be antiracist and inclusive. Let us know if we can improve or if you have ideas for our process.
We’re now part of the Frolic Podcast Network! Check out their shows (especially if you’re into romance novels..) at https://frolic.media/podcasts/
Thanks to Caroline for the three recipe ideas and reviews! We were so happy to hear from her and have some fantastic options to check out.