I found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen that combined cauliflower with feta cheese. Deb Perelman topped her fritters with a cumin-flavored yogurt and pomegranate seeds, but I was married to the harissa yogurt idea. Plus, we have a shaker full of harissa that we bought at MOM's Organic Market a while back, and I'm always looking for ways to use it.
This was perfect.
Cauliflower Fritters with Harissa Dipping Sauce (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
For fritters:
1 pound cauliflower florets, steamed until tender
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil for frying
For sauce:
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon harissa powder, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
To make fritters: Using a potato masher, mash cooked cauliflower in a large bowl. Add egg and mix well. Stir in feta.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir into egg and cauliflower mixture until just combined. The batter will be very thick and lumpy.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, plop in the batter in 2-tablespoon dollops, flattening them slightly with your spoon. Because the batter is so thick, it might seem that they won't hold together--have faith, they will. Repeat with additional batter, leaving space between each. Once browned on the bottom, carefully flip each fritter and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Drain on paper towels.
To make sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Makes 8 fritters
Posted on Minxeats.com.