Ingredients
for the Tzatziki
3 cups Greek Yogurt (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)
juice of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 tablespoon kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
salt and black pepper to taste
for the Zucchini Fritters
1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Canola oil, for frying
Directions
You can make the Tzatziki up to a couple of days in advance and you should make it at least 3-4 hours in advance for the flavors to meld, so do that first. Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out
seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers to 1/4 inch slices. Reserve about 1/2 cup (if you like your tzatziki chunky) then put the rest in a colander, sprinkle on a tablespoon of salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.
In food processor, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Add in the remaining cucumber chunks. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)
Next, make your zucchini fritters. Preheat oven to 200F. Have a baking sheet ready to keep the fritters nice and warm for serving.
Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater. In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini by squeezing out small handfuls at a time. Dab them extra dry with papertowels — you definitely don’t want the mixture soggy. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining mixture. All of the fritter, including the last batch from the pan, should spend at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.
Serve immediately with the tzatziki, or as a side with your meal.
Note for the Tzatziki: This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.
