This is a really yummy little vegetarian dish that serves well as a starter, or as part of a buffet. I've made it three times in a short while, one of those our big 13-course dinner, since discovering them on one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. It's been really well received each time, and my baby loves it too. (The toddler, not so much.) Keeping the baby in mind, I haven't added any extra salt to these. You can, of course, but the feta is so salty you really don't need to. I also add a little pinch of ancho chili - not enough to add any real heat, but a slight smokiness.
A little cumin yogurt and pomegranate seeds are perfect with these! (Never mind the unripe ones in the awful photo above...)
And everything can be prepared well in advance. The fritters heat up well in the oven, so you can make them ahead of time, if you want to.
Cauliflower Feta Fritters
makes 12
1 head of cauliflower
100 g feta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 egg
125 ml all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
To serve:
100 ml thick yogurt (greek or turkish style)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 pomegranate
Cut the cauliflower into large florets, and cook in lightly salted water (or just water, if you're worried about salt) until soft - about 6-7 minutes. (It will depend on how large you cut your cauliflower.)
In a large bowl, grate the lemon zest and the garlic - a Microplane comes in handy here. Add the egg and whisk.
When the cauliflower is cooked, rinse it with cold water and let it dry on a towel, then add to the bowl. Mash with a potato masher until it's all well-mixed. Crumble in the feta. Add flour, baking soda and chili, and mix into a uniform batter.
Fry in a little bit of olive oil until lightly golden on both sides.
To serve, stir together yogurt and cumin, and pick the seeds from the pomegranate. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate.
