Crispy golden squash fritters, topped with creamy and aromatic lemon basil shrimp.
When our garden started pumping out summer squash, I asked my husband if he had any requests for them. His first suggestion: Fritters. Despite growing copious amount of them, my husband is not usually the biggest fan of cooked summer squash. And, honestly, I don’t blame him. They tend to be straight-up mushy when cooked. But fritters? They avoid that problem.
So, after making probably hundreds of squash fritters, I’ve arrived at these. They are crispy and dark brown on the outside, with a velvety, generously-spiced interior. They can be made with any variety of summer squash, and are pan-fried in a thin layer of oil, so no deep fryer set-up is needed.
You could enjoy these fritters on their own, as a snack or an appetizer, but I actually prefer them as a full-on meal. So, to complete the package, they are paired with shrimp in a creamy lemon basil sauce. While some of this sauce graces the fritters themselves, a bed of rice below soaks up any of the delectable run-off. All together, this combination of crispy fritters, succulent shrimp, zesty lemon, aromatic basil, and creamy sauce, creates a bright, summery meal—with no mushiness to be seen.
A word about summer squash.
What is a summer squash? They are the immature fruits of a squash plant, picked when the rind is still soft and edible. Common varieties include zucchini (courgette if you hail from the UK), yellow squash, patty pans, grey squash, cousa, and zephyrs. While they may vary slightly in taste and texture, summer squash can generally be used interchangeably, and that is the case with this recipe too, so use whatever you’ve got.
How to drain summer squash.
For optimal crispiness I recommend to grate the squash for these fritter, and squeeze out excess moisture. A quick google search reveals a wide variety of opinions on the best way to do this. Some swear by salting the squash and allowing it to drain in a colander. My recommendation: skip this. It may help dry the squash better, but (at least for this recipe) it isn’t necessary and will tack on quite a bit of extra prep time. Instead, just wrap the squash in use a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and wring it out. In a pinch you can also use paper towels but, invariably, they will tear mid-squeeze, so make sure to use a hefty stack, and be prepared with a bowl underneath.
Lemon Basil Shrimp with Summer Squash Fritters
Ingredients
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 6 oz (about 12 medium) shrimp peeled and deveined, tail off
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced or finely grated
- 1 small lemon
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 8 oz (about 1 medium) zucchini or yellow squash or other summer squash
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 oz cream cheese
Instructions
- Combine rice with chicken stock or water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes then remove heat and leave covered until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, place shrimp in a small mixing bowl. Toss with olive oil, garlic, zest from lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Coarsely shred zucchini or yellow squash through the large holes of a box grater. Wrap in cheesecloth, a dish towel, or several sheets of paper towel and wring out excess moisture. Transfer squash to a large bowl and set aside.
- Heat vegetable or canola oil in a medium-sized pot or skillet over medium heat. While oil is heating, combine shredded zucchini with cumin, paprika, coriander, breadcrumbs, egg, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Mix until evenly combined.
- Form fritter batter into 6 patties about the size of your palm and place them on a plate. When oil shimmers add fritters, working in batches as needed. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until deeply golden brown. Remove to a drying rack or paper towel lined plate.
- When done cooking fritters, reduce skillet heat to low. Add shrimp and their marinade to the pan and cook briefly while stirring until shrimp turns pink. Remove pan from heat.
- Juice lemon and add 2 tbsps to the pan. Add basil and cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Divide rice onto plates. Top rice with fritters, then top everything with shrimp and sauce.
