Santorini Tomato Fritters with Tzatziki
- 11⁄2 pounds red-ripe meaty tomatoes, cored and chopped skins, seeds and all
- 1⁄2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh spearmint
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1⁄4 to 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying (ideally half sunflower oil/half olive oil)
- 2 seedless cucumbers, lightly peeled and grated
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup plain Greek (strained) yogurt, full fat
- 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Chopped mint and/or dill, to taste
- 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Tomato Fritters
In a large bowl vigorously knead the tomatoes, scallions, herbs, salt and pepper to make a messy mash. Slowly, add the flour and baking powder, and mix well. If necessary, add enough additional flour to obtain a batter just thick enough to hold its shape. Keep the batter cold.
In a large, deep heavy-bottom skillet such as cast-iron, heat the oil to the depth of about 1-inch until bubbles form around the end of a wooden spoon stuck into the oil (the perfect temperature for frying). Scoop the batter by the spoonful into the oil adding them to the pan in a clockwise fashion.
Fry until nicely golden around the edges and then turn over, using tongs, a slotted spoon, or a wire skimmer in the same order that they were placed in the pan. When the fritters are a deep red-gold color and no longer soft in the middle (indicating that the batter hasn’t completely cooked yet), remove the fritters from the pan.
Drain on brown paper, paper towels, or a wire rack (preferred to reduce sogginess). Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately accompanied by tzatziki.
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