created by: Chef Anthony Rose, of The Drake Hotel in Toronto, for Almond Board of California
description:
These tasty morsels are a unique pairing of pumpkin, chilli flakes, and cheese, and are coated with toasted crushed almonds for an added crunch in every bite.
servings 16-20
1 lb cooked Kabocha squash (1 small raw)
1/2 lb cooked russet potato (1 large raw)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp crushed chili flake
1 cup salt
3 tbsp chopped sage
1 oz grated parmesan
1 oz grated cheddar
1 egg yolk
zest of half a lemon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup toasted crushed almonds
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bag micro greens
Set oven to 350°F. Split squash width-wise and scrape out seeds. Drizzle each half with olive oil, and sprinkle with chili flakes, a pinch of salt and pepper and let sit for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, stab each potato four times around with a fork. Line another sheet pan with the cup of salt and place the potatoes on top. Place squash face-down on a parchment lined sheet tray.
Bake both squash and potatoes in the oven for 1 hour or until soft. Remove from the oven, carefully split open potatoes lengthwise to steam, and allow all to cool completely.
When cool, scoop out squash and potato into bowl and add sage, parmesan, cheddar, egg and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly; a chunky texture is fine.
Prepare fritters for frying. Set up three bowls and one parchment lined sheet tray. In one bowl, whisk together eggs; place almonds and flour separately in two other bowls.
With a large spoon or scoop, take about 2 tbsp. of squash mixture and form an oval; dredge in flour, dip in egg and roll in almonds before placing onto the sheet pan. Repeat with remaining squash and refrigerate until ready to fry.
In a deep, heavy bottomed pan, heat oil to 300°F and carefully pan fry the fritters until golden brown on each side, approximately 2 ½ minutes each side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve hot on a small bed of microgreens with or without sauce.
ALMOND CRUSTED PUMPKIN FRITTER SAUCE
Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp finely chopped Thai chili
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
Directions:
In a bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for at least one day before serving. Mix thoroughly before serving.
