Let me introduce you to these little beauties – my FRITTER-LICIOUS Spinach Plantain Fritters with Spring Onion Oil
“After conscientiously tasting fritters every day for a month Lola had put on two pounds! Her little belt bore witness to the disaster, she found herself obliged to move on to the next notch. She burst into tears.” ― Louis-Ferdinand Céline, ‘Journey to the End of the Night’
Despite the fact that I have called Australia home for almost 20 years, I am a New Zealander and I love me some fritters.
Fritters are the perfect brunch food. That weekend meal that is leisurely eaten later than breakfast, often while reading the Saturday (or Sunday) papers. Best enjoyed al fresco. Bonus points if you’re by the water. If you’re not from these parts, brunch is a big deal.
Oh! Fritters let me count the ways I love you…
New Zealand Whitebait fritters – I salivate just thinking about them. Tuatua (clam) fritters. Paua (abalone) fritters. Cockle fritters – made by my Dad on family boating holidays with cockles freshly gathered from the sea shore. And, it would be un-Kiwi not to mention corn fritters, The ubiquitous down-under brunch dish, served with bacon and smashed avocado.
… and since embarking on this wild AIP ride, let me mention the Cinnamon Plantain Fritter – for when a sweet treat is the name of the game. Or, my savoury CRACKING Coriander and Zucchini Plantain Fritter number – just delish’ with some guacamole and bacon. And, let’s not forget the fritter’s close cousin – as evidenced by the Hot Patootie Hashie.
All hail the mighty fritter!
But – today is all about my spinach fritters served with a super little spring onion (scallion) oil that I nicked from the very fabulous Adam Liaw.
There’s a story behind these nutrient dense little fritters with their fragrant sauce…
I had invited a couple of fellow AIP girlfriends over for a post-farmers market brunch at my place. With our various dietary challenges, I thought my coriander and zucchini fritters would be the go – and a safe (and nutrient appropriate) option all ’round, especially when served with some guac’.
Alas – we;’re in the middle of winter here so zucchini were nowhere to be seen at the market, and the avocados were notable by their absence, too. What was a girl to do?
IMPROVISE! (Necessity being the the mother of invention and all that jazz…)
Baby spinach was in ready supply from the good people at Kurrawong Organics and I had earmarked Adam’s spring onion oil to play with. Spring onions are ALWAYS to be found, after all. What a perfect opportunity?
And so, this dish was born…
We served our ‘girlfriends’ version with some fab’ smoked trout from Brilliant Food.
spinach plantain fritters with spring onion oil, smoked trout and Hauskraut fermented vegetables (best eaten with girlfriends)
Of course, when the girls loved their wee fritters so much, I immediately wanted to share the recipe on the blog. This required some further ‘testing’ for quality assurance purposes.
And this time, brunch was deemed a little ‘man-lier’ served with some wonderful duck and orange terrine.
YUMMO!
spinach plantain fritters with spring onion oil, duck terrine from Romeo’s and Golden Kraut fermented vegetables (best eaten whenever you feel like rustling some up!)
And so, I give you my latest favourite brunch number. Nutrient dense and with the Sydney AIP seal of approval!
Makes 8 fritters
- Spring onion oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8-10 spring onions (scallions), white and light green parts, thinly sliced, (reserving ⅓ cup greens for fritters)
- ½ cup avocado oil (olive oil will also work)
- Spinach Fritter Batter
- 2 green plantains
- 1 cup washed and spun baby spinach, packed
- ⅓ cup sliced spring onion greens
- 2 tablespoons melted fat of choice + more for frying (I used lard)
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 spring onions/scallions
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh lime cheeks
- To make the spring onion oil, combine the ginger, salt and spring onion using a heatproof mortar and pestle. Lightly pound the mixture to break up the spring onion. Heat the avocado oil in a small saucepan until just smoking ( don't leave it unattended) and pour into the mortar. It will crackle and pop and smell incredible. Stir once, then allow to stand while making fritters.
- Peel and slice the plantains and pop into your food processor. Add melted fat, apple cider vinegar, baking soda and sea salt. Blend until pureed. Add spinach and spring onions. Pulse a few times until chopped to your desired consistency. Transfer to mixture to a bowl.
- Heat a tablespoon of fat in a large frypan over medium heat. Once hot, drop ¼ cup scoops of batter into pan. Using the back of a spatula, flatten the batter into rounds.
- Cook each side for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Repeat until batter is all finished.
- Serve with lime segments and spring onion oil on the side.
- Store & Reheat: Store once cooled in a sealed glass container for up to 1 week. To reheat, warm under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
E N J O Y !
