Onion Fritters from Mytilini 🌞

[justaprogressive]

Onion Fritters from Mytilini (Greek island off the Turkish coast)

KREMYDOTIGANITES MYTILLENES

Makes about 15 fritters; 3 to 5 servings

A theme that runs through the cooking of the entire
Aegean is the endless number of fritters made with
greens and vegetables. Throughout this book there
are many recipes for such simple dishes. They are a
mirror of the easy but savory palate of island Greeks
who, forced to contend with a constant dearth of raw
ingredients, had to devise ways to keep their families
from suffering from both hunger and boredom. These
simple onion fritters make a great meze and buffet
dish for parties anywhere.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4to 1/2 cup water, as needed
1/3 cup grated myzithra or any hard cheese
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped white and tender
green parts of spring onions or scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive or vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, toss together the flour and
salt and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and
enough of the water to form a thick batter. Mix in
the remaining ingredients, except the oil, combining everything well so that all the scallions, cheese,
and mint are evenly distributed.

2. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy
skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very
hot, almost smoking, drop a tablespoon at a time of
the mixture into the hot oil. As soon as the bottom
turns a light golden color, flip it with a metal spatula
to cook until golden on the other side, about a minute
or so on each side. Cook several at a time,
without crowding them in the skillet. Remove with
a slotted spoon, let drain on paper towels, and continue
until all the batter is used. Serve warm.

from "The Glorious Food of Greece"
https://www.dianekochilas.com/portfolio-item/the-glorious-foods-of-greece/

Mmmmmm tasty!

[SheltieLover]

1. Looks delic!

Ty!

[Bobstandard]

2. I always balk at 2" of oil

I didn’t grow up in a deep frying household so never got the habit. It seems pretty wasteful on the one hand and messy on the other.

I’d be happy to knock a few of these down if someone invited me over. They sound delicious.

[justaprogressive]

3. If you strain the oil

after use it is possible to reuse the oil...

Good News A: You don't have to throw out used oil. Often you can reuse it many, many times!

Bad News: There's no hard and fast rule for how many time you can reuse that oil. Distrust any
source that gives a firm answer on the number times you can reuse oil.

Good News B: It's easy to tell when you'll need to replace your oil, and more importantly, there
are some great steps you can take to increase the useful lifespan of your oil!

snip

How to Clean Oil

So you've cooked off that batch of fries, now you want to store the oil for future use. How do you do that?

Start by using a skimmer to skim off any floaters and large pieces of debris that might be lurking in the pot and discard them. Next, pour the oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean, dry pot. If you were cooking flour-dredged foods, you may find a large layer of dirty, flour-filled oil at the bottom of the pot. Stop pouring before you pour this stuff through and discard it separately. Cover the pot with the strained oil to prevent dust from falling in, and let it cool completely. Finally, use a funnel to pour the oil back into its original container (you did save it, right?). Seal it tightly, and store the oil in a cool, dry place.

UPDATE: If you have some gelatin on hand, you can also give this gelatin-clarification technique a shot. It works like a charm and gives you crystal clear oil overnight.

More: https://www.seriouseats.com/ask-the-food-lab-how-many-times-can-i-reuse-fry-oil

[Bobstandard]

4. The Serious Eats link might change my mind

I respect those folks. Thanks!