Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters

I spent most of the day running errands and taking care of some loose ends. The city of Phoenix is pretty busy this time of year with all the snowbirds and wintering visitors. Definitely the place to be now, because it sure won't be come summer. I realized after settling in this afternoon that I was quite famished and wasn't even sure if I ate breakfast. This dish was in the forefront of my mind since I saw it on the back page of the February, Food and Wine magazine. This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi one of my favorite cookbook author' and chef. From start to finish it took almost an hour and that's including the time to chill the sauce.

The cauliflower fritters are not quite like I imagined, not in a bad way or anything. But just not what I expected, they are almost pancake like in consistency. To understand what I am talking about, let me walk you briefly through the instructions. First the cauliflower is boiled and then smashed down with the back of a wooden spoon to keep some of it's texture. It is added along with some eggs, flour, shallots and a few other ingredients to make the batter. For the spices you add cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. The sauce is made with Greek yogurt and lots of cilantro and lime juice and zest throughout. It is delicious, but because it is fried it is not something I would make often.

Ingredients:

Lime sauce:

1 1/3 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Fritters:

1 small cauliflower, about 3/4 pound (cut into florets)
Scant 1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons parsley (finely chopped) plus whole leaves for garnish
2 shallots, ( finely chopped, 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic (minced)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
About 2 cups sunflower oil, for frying

To prepare:

Start by preparing the lime sauce, place the Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl and whisk well. Taste, the flavor should be tart and citrusy. Taste and add salt and pepper to season as necessary. Let sit for flavors to meld for at least 1 hour.

To begin the fritters add the florets to a saucepan of salted boiling water. Simmer until very soft, about 15 minutes, drain.

Meanwhile, put the flour, chopped parsley, shallots, garlic, eggs, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter. Add the warm cauliflower. Mix, smashing the cauliflower into the batter with the back of a wooden spoon.

In a wide skillet, heat 2/3 inch of oil over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, spoon in the cauliflower mixture, allowing 3 tablespoons per fritter. Separate the fritters with a fish spatula. Fry in small batches, adjusting the heat so the fritters cook but don't burn. They should take 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Drain the fritters well on paper towels. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve hot or warm with lime sauce.