Note: I made these a second time. Knowing I found them a little bland at first, I did a half a teaspoon of iodized salt instead of half a teaspoon Kosher, and thought they were much better. So I've edited the recipe below.
Ingredients:
8 ounces (1 small-to-medium bundle, 225 grams) fresh Broccoli (3 cups chopped)
1 large Egg ½ cup (65 grams) All-Purpose Flour ⅓ cup (30 grams) finely grated Parmesan Cheese 1 small clove Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Iodized Salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes or several grinds of Black Pepper
Olive or Vegetable Oil for frying
Directions:
Prepare your broccoli: Separate the florets from the biggest stem(s). Cut the florets into 1-inch chunks. To prepare the stems, I like to peel them, as the skin can be thick and doesn’t cook quickly, then slice them into ½-inch lengths. You should have about 3 cups of chopped broccoli total.
Steam your broccoli until tender but not mushy: Use whatever method you prefer. My quickie, lazy method is to bring a ½-inch or so of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add the broccoli, place a lid on it and simmer it for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the broccoli, then set it aside to cool slightly.
In the bottom of a large bowl, lightly beat your egg. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add the somewhat cooled broccoli and, using a potato masher, mash the broccoli just a bit. You’re looking to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (¼ to ½-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir or fold the ingredients together the rest of the way with a spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add a good slick of oil (I usually use a mix of olive and vegetable oil), about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot (you can test it by flicking a droplet of water into it; it should hiss and sputter), scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then to a serving plate if you’ll be eating them shortly or a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven if you’d like to keep them warm for a while until needed. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. Serve with some of the suggestions listed in the head notes, above.
Final Notes:
These are good as is, but a little plain. Smitten Kitchen says their kids like these, so I can understand why they wouldn't go crazy with seasoning them more. Personally, I'll at least add more salt next time.
Iodized salt replacement worked well! Had these with saucy "Asian" chicken the second time, and the sauce helped with the blandness too.
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