Quinoa Fritters for Passover
From a beloved friend in Israel
Issue 12: From Sara Kate (and Adeena’s) kitchen
One of my most beloved friends is the brilliant and beautiful Adeena Sussman who I met on an avocado press trip (true story) in Michoacan, Mexico. (As I type this I’m realizing it’s the same trip where I met Pati Jinich from m Tortilla Soup piece from two weeks ago.) She truly is the grande dame of Jewish cooking and my constant go-to for all questions and advice. Her book Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen is on constant rotation in my kitchen. Her “Israeli kitchen” is a relatively new phenomena (she moved there from New York City for love) and I miss her dearly but we talk often, and often what we talk about is Jewish cooking, though it always leads to the deepest places of the heart. No surprise.
I recently asked her to share one of her favorite dishes for kids and families to make for Passover and she offered these fritters.
“Quinoa is really appealing for Passover because it feels like a ‘grain’ but in fact it is a seed and therefore permissible to cook on Passover. Grains are forbidden because they could be made into flours that can rise if leavened, and we only eat unleavened items on Passover.”
Adeena is super fun to cook with. On my 40th birthday weekend she and our other good friend Raquel took over my wood fired oven and cooked the most extraordinary meal, music blasting, dancing, no recipes, just winging it. This spirit of adventure and love is why I work in food. So I asked about the actual process of cooking these fritters and what’s in it for kids.
“I love the way cooked quinoa, when bound with potatoes and eggs, crisp up in a skillet and become a play on different textures. These are super easy to make and you can obviously vary the herbs and other accents: cheeses, spices, whatever you like! If you make a batch of quinoa then you can leave it in the fridge and make fritters on demand, or even make a few patties and keep them in the fridge and then fry them when you’re ready for something delicious. These would be great served with a salad or even on top of a salad.”
Check out Adeena’s website and follow her kind-spirited, entertaining and super useful content on Instagram.
OK, let’s do it!
Quinoa Fritters with Lemon-Horseradish Mayonnaise
Makes 16 to 18 fritters
For the mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons jarred horseradish
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
For the fritters:
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup canola oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic clove, minced
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup matzo meal
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
To make the mayonnaise, in a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, horseradish, salt, pepper and all but a pinch of the lemon zest. Spoon into a small ramekin and garnish with additional parsley and the remaining lemon zest. Set aside.
To make the fritters, in a large skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, use a fork to mix together the mashed potatoes and eggs. Stir in the quinoa, matzo meal, parsley, salt, pepper and the sauteed onion mixture. Return the skillet to the burner over medium high. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil and heat until very hot but not smoking.
One at a time, scoop the fritter mixture into balls about 2 tablespoons each. Place 4 or 5 balls in the skillet, then use a lightly oiled spatula to gently flatten them. Cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the fritters and cook for an additional 2 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining fritters.
[shared with permission from Adeena Sussman]