Who doesn’t love fried food? As your teeth sink through the crispy crust, there is a moment of pure bliss that overtakes you. Many people are intimidated by the thought of frying. It isn’t really difficult, if you keep one thing in mind:  successful frying depends on the temperature of your oil.

If your oil is not hot enough, your crust will absorb more oil than it should and the result will be soggy, not crispy, fried foods. As you fry each batch, your oil will cool down significantly enough to produce these bad results. Always give your oil time to return to proper frying temperature between batches. Refer to the Quick Tips for more frying help.

 

INGREDIENTS

5 cups butternut squash, shredded

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

2/3 cup flour (we used white whole wheat)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste

 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded butternut squash, eggs, minced sage, salt and pepper. Fold in flour and add more if needed in order to hold fritters together.

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat, and heat until the oil sizzles when a drop of water is added. Drop 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time, making sure to keep the fritters at least 1-inch apart.

Cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.

When cooked, transfer them to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the procedure with the remaining mixture.

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Quick Tip:  Before you start frying, set up a “landing spot” for the fritters that you have finished frying. A wire rack set over a baking sheet that is lined with paper towels is the best. Once each batch that you have fried has drained for a few minutes, transfer them to another baking sheet lined with parchment paper in your oven, set to 200 degrees F, to keep warm while you fry the remaining fritters. This way you will have an efficient frying assembly line and you will bring all of the fritters to the table while they are warm and crispy.

Recipe and image courtesy of SkinnyMs