Frittering My Time Away

I just spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out what to talk about or share next. And in the process, I did a substantial amount of frittering about online and on my phone. And then, suddenly, voila! I found this little piece from the Chicago Tribune! It is cute and fun, and looks delicious.

Frittering away a fall afternoon

Fritters fritter away so little time. Thirty minutes to prep. Two minutes to crisp. One to munch. Thirty-three minutes isn’t frittering. That’s practically staying on task.

There are more effective fritterers than fritters. Consider the Internet, designed to delete whole afternoons. Or the leaf-dropping tree, capable of raking up an entire weekend. Or the World Serious, which requires the seriously observant to slump on the couch for a week, staring morosely and mumbling: “Bad call.”

The fritter, by comparison, is a fleeting distraction. All it requires is mashing cheese, shaping balls, then rolling them in flour, egg and breadcrumb. The triple jacket ensures a crisp outside and melting inside.

Hot from the pan-fry, the fritter goes nicely with a fall salad. It’s a pleasant diversion from computer, rake or couch. And always a good call.

Ricotta fritters

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes per batch
Makes: 16 fritters (enough to accompany 4 servings of salad)

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 3 slices white sandwich bread
• Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 4 ounces mild goat cheese
• ½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese*
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Note: *Ricotta should be firm. Pour off any visible liquid. If ricotta seems very soft, drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander for 1 hour.

Grind: With food-processor running, drop garlic down the chute, buzzing it to bits. Break up bread and add to food processor along with a pinch of salt. Grind to fine fluffy crumbs.

Prep: Line up three plates: One holding flour, one holding egg mix and one holding the breadcrumbs.

Mash: Drop both types of cheese into a clean food processor. Swirl smooth. Briefly pulse in zest, chives, thyme, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Shape: Use a 1 1/4-inch ice-cream scoop (or a tablespoon) to scoop cheese mix into balls. Drop the balls first in the flour, rolling to coat; then in the egg, rolling to coat; then in the crumbs, rolling to coat. Pat each ball into a disk, about 1 1/2-inches across and ½-inch thick. Let rest, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Crisp: In a heavy skillet, melt butter into oil over medium. Scatter in a pinch of salt. Add cheese pucks without crowding. Crisp to a golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining pucks.

Serve: Serve fritters alongside any salad. Enjoy.

Provenance: Inspired by TWO Restaurant, Chicago.