Chicken, Scallion, and Ginger Fritters
Calcutta’s Jews serve these savory and gently spicy fritters, called arook tahine, as a snack or a predinner appetizer. This recipe uses chicken, but they are also commonly made with an equivalent weight of firm fish fillets. The fresh herbs and scallions (spring onions) give the fritters a gorgeous green color.
Adapted from The Jewish Cookbook (Phaidon)
- Duration
- Cook Time
- Prep Time
- 4-6Servings
Ingredients
- 1 bunch scallions (spring onions), white and green parts, roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ cup (20 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) or flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lb (455 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or firm, skinless fish fillets, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (35 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation
1. In a food processor, combine the scallions (spring onions), jalapeño, ginger, and cilantro (coriander) and pulse until very finely chopped. Add the chicken, flour, eggs, and salt and pulse until a wet batter forms—it should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Line a large plate with paper towels. In a large frying pan, heat about ¼ inch (6 mm) oil over medium heat. Working in batches of 4–5, scoop out the batter by the ¼ cup (60 g) and add to the pan, gently flattening and nudging into rounds. Fry, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add more oil in between batches, if necessary. Transfer to the paper towels to drain. Serve hot.
