We are right in the middle of Greek Carnival Season known as Apokries. Greek street foods are, of course, a big part of the celebrations. So this week I wanted to feature one of my favorite Greek appetizers, Kolokithokeftedes. Ok, that may seem Greek to you, but really, they are just delicious deep fried zucchini balls paired here with a fantastic dipping sauce, and pronouncing the word correctly is not part of the recipe, so don’t worry about a thing! (For the record, it’s pronounced Kolo-Keetho- Kef-ted-es.) You’ll love the crunch and the fabulous flavor combination of zucchini, cheese, onion, garlic and a hint of white truffle oil, made even more delicious by dipping them in a zesty red sauce. There’s only one more thing to say about this delightful Mediterranean treat, “Nostimótatos!” ( Delicious!)
| Servings |
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped fine
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white truffle oil
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 3 large zucchini, grated and wrung out to drain liquid
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Ingredients For the Dipping Sauce:
For the Zucchini Balls:
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- Make the dipping sauce. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer uncovered, until tomatoes have mostly broken down, about 25 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. Stir in basil, honey, salt, pepper, and parsley. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes. Puree it in a food processor/blender. Place in a serving bowl and set aside. Make the zucchini balls. In a small pan over medium high heat, sauté butter, olive oil, white truffle oil, onion and garlic, sautéing until soft and translucent and onions begin to caramelize. Remove from heat to cool down. Grate zucchini. Place in a cheese cloth and wring out as much water as possible. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt, black pepper and cooled sautéed onion mixture. Mix well to fully incorporate. In a medium saucepot, add 2 cups of vegetable oil. Heat oil to 365 degrees. Form the zucchini mixture into 1 inch balls, by rolling the zucchini mixture in the palm of your hands. Add several balls into the hot oil and fry for about one minute on each side, cooking until deep golden brown. Drain zucchini balls on a paper towel lined baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with salt. Makes 16 zucchini balls.
