Fresh chard is the star in these crispy, cheesy fritters served with a garlicky yogurt sauce!
Inspired by the lush and verdant woodlands surrounding Rivendell, our Elvish feast wouldn’t be complete without plenty of fresh greens. Freshly gathered chard leaves are transformed into these delectable fritters that use both the stems and leaves. As the fritters fry the melting cheese forms a delicious crispy, lacey crust. A garlicky yogurt dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these cheesy chard fritters. Eating fresh greens never tasted so good!
Ingredient Notes
Cheese: I like to add two different kinds of cheese to these fritters. Mozzarella cheese melts beautifully inside the fritters but also creates a crunchy, lacy crust to the fritters after frying. The sharpness of the parmesan adds a hint of saltiness and brightness to the fritters.
Fresh dill: I love the flavour of fresh dill but you can substitute with dried dill instead if you prefer.
How to make Cheesy Chard Fritters
Prep the fresh chard
To prepare the chard, remove the leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Finely chop the chard stems as well as the onion.
Place a skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and olive oil along with the diced onions and chard stems. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the stems are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and allow the stems to cool down.
Prepare the swiss chard fritter batter
In a mixing bowl combine the milk and eggs. Whisk together. Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk until it becomes a smooth batter. Add the chopped chard leaves and the cooled stems along with the grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Finely chop the fresh dill and add to the batter. Stir the mixture together until fully combined. The batter can be prepared and then held in the refrigerator for several hours before frying if desired.
Fry the fritters
Place a rack on a baking sheet and have ready to drain the fritters. In a wide skillet, add enough vegetable to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/8 inch deep. Place over medium heat.
Drop a spoonful of the fritter batter into the hot oil. Gently spread the batter out to create a flat fritter, about 2 inches in diameter. Add 3 or 4 more to the pan. Allow the fritters to fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
The melting cheese in the fritters may cause them to stick to the pan initially. As the fritters brown, they should release from the pan with relative ease. Carefully flip the fritters over and cook for another couple of minutes until the browned on the other side.
Transfer the cooked fritters to the rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the fritters are cooked.
Make the yogurt dipping sauce
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, fresh chopped dill, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve the Cheesy Chard Fritters
Arrange the chard fritters on a serving platter. Serve the fritters with the yogurt sauce and enjoy!
More Recipes from the Lord of the Rings
- A Complete Hobbit Feast
- Second Breakfast: Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
- A Hobbit’s Yuletide Feast – An Unofficial Cookbook
Cheesy Chard Fritters
Ingredients
Cheesy Chard Fritters
- 1 bunch Swiss chard *see note
- ½ large onion diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus extra
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- vegetable oil for frying
Yogurt Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Cheesy Chard Fritters
- Remove the chard leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Finely chop the chard stems.
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil along with the diced onions and chard stems. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the stems are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and allow the stems to cool down.
- In a mixing bowl combine the milk and eggs. Whisk together. Add the flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Whisk until it becomes a smooth batter. Add the chopped chard leaves and the cooled stems along with the fresh dill and grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Stir the mixture together until fully combined.
- Place a rack on a baking sheet and have ready to drain the fritters. In a wide skillet, add enough vegetable to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/8 inch deep. Place over medium heat.
- Drop a spoonful of the fritter batter into the hot oil. Gently spread the batter out to create a flat fritter, about 2 inches in diameter. Add 3 or 4 more to the pan. Allow the fritters to fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat if they brown too quickly.
- The fritters may stick to the pan initially but as the fritters brown, they should release from the pan with relative ease. Carefully flip the fritters over and cook for another couple of minutes until the browned on the other side.
- Transfer the cooked fritters to the rack to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the fritters are cooked.
Yogurt Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh chopped dill, minced garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Serve
- Arrange the chard fritters on a serving platter. Serve the fritters with the yogurt sauce and enjoy!