Fritters fritter away so little time. Thirty minutes to prep. Two minutes to crisp. One to munch. Thirty-three minutes isn’t frittering. That’s practically staying on task.
There are more effective fritterers than fritters. Consider the Internet, designed to delete whole afternoons. Or the leaf-dropping tree, capable of raking up an entire weekend. Or the World Serious, which requires the seriously observant to slump on the couch for a week, staring morosely and mumbling: “Bad call.”
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The fritter, by comparison, is a fleeting distraction. All it requires is mashing cheese, shaping balls, then rolling them in flour, egg and breadcrumb. The triple jacket ensures a crisp outside and melting inside.
Hot from the pan-fry, the fritter goes nicely with a fall salad. It’s a pleasant diversion from computer, rake or couch. And always a good call.
Ricotta fritters
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes per batch
Makes: 16 fritters (enough to accompany 4 servings of salad)
1 clove garlic
3 slices white sandwich bread
Kosher salt
3/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
4 ounces mild goat cheese
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese*
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Grind: With food-processor running, drop garlic down the chute, buzzing it to bits. Break up bread and add to food processor along with a pinch of salt. Grind to fine fluffy crumbs.
Prep: Line up three plates: One holding flour, one holding egg mix and one holding the breadcrumbs.
Mash: Drop both types of cheese into a clean food processor. Swirl smooth. Briefly pulse in zest, chives, thyme, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Shape: Use a 1 1/4-inch ice-cream scoop (or a tablespoon) to scoop cheese mix into balls. Drop the balls first in the flour, rolling to coat; then in the egg, rolling to coat; then in the crumbs, rolling to coat. Pat each ball into a disk, about 1 1/2-inches across and 1/2-inch thick. Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.
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Crisp: In a heavy skillet, melt butter into oil over medium. Scatter in a pinch of salt. Add cheese pucks without crowding. Crisp to a golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining pucks.
Serve: Serve fritters alongside any salad. Enjoy.
Provenance: Inspired by TWO Restaurant, Chicago.
*Ricotta should be firm. Pour off any visible liquid. If ricotta seems very soft, drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander for 1 hour.
Leah Eskin is a Tribune Newspapers special contributor. Email her at [email protected].