Cauliflower Fritters with Mint & Pea Spread

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

This recipe makes me want to change out of my farm clothes, put on a dress, and head to a dinner party armed with a batch of these fritters. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen anytime soon since our organic farm is in full swing for the season and our free time is rare.

Ingredients

2 cups peas, blanched if fresh or thawed if frozen
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to thin if necessary
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil for frying

Instructions

Prepare the pea spread by combining the peas, mint leaves, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, pepper flakes and sea salt in a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until everything is well-combined but still a little chunky. Taste and add more salt or pepper to taste.
For the fritters, combine the cauliflower florets with 4 cups of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until cauliflower is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat the cauliflower dry. Transfer to a cutting board and finely-chop the florets.
Place the chopped cauliflower in a large bowl. Add the chickpea flour and toss until evenly coated. Stir in the cheese, scallions, egg, and salt.
Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot (you can test this by sprinkling a tiny water in the pan, it should hiss when hot enough), add about 1/4 cup of cauliflower batter to the pan. Use a spoon, spatula, or the backside of the measuring cup to flatten the fritter into a uniform shape. Add as many fritters to the pan as can fit without overcrowding. Cook until browned and crisp on the underside, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip fritters and repeat on the opposite side.
Serve while warm with the pea spread.