These crispy tomato fritters have a taste for summer on a Greek island

Imagine sitting on a quiet beach in Greece by a hot summer day. The clear and fresh sea slides gently on the small gray rocks sprinkling the coast, the water a perfect shade of turquoise. While the warmth of the afternoon culminates, it is time for a long, quiet lunch. A tavern table is folded with sun. You order a Greek salad, toasted fish, fried potatoes and a propagation of meze. Among the dishes is a tray of vegetable donuts – always hot, sparkling oil, their irresistible golden edges. Dipped in tangy yogurt, they are the ideal companion for salty air and the slow rhythm of summer.

Why the donuts belong to the summer

This scene may seem romantic, but she speaks to a truth: plant donuts are one of the best summer dishes, regardless of your setting. They are a delicious and practical way to make the most of the products of the advanced season, and their appeal extends over many kitchens, the Garcque table among them.

Meet ntototokeftetes: Greek tomato fritters

One of my favorite Greek donuts is ντοματοκεφτέδες, written as ntomatokeftedes (tomato donuts) in English. NTOMATOKEFTEDES, also spelled TOMATOKEFTEDES, is one of the most emblematic vegetable donuts in Greece, a beloved specialty from Santorini. The dry climate of the island and the volcanic soil cause tomatoes with a concentrated flavor and a minimum water content, perfect for donuts. You will also find versions in many Greek islands, especially in the neighboring cycladic islands and on the Greek continent.

The term keftedes is often associated with meatballs. However, in Greek, it also refers to a very small fried tour – whether it be made from zucchini (KolokithokeFtedes), chickpeas (RevithokeFtedes), or, as in this case, tomatoes.

The best tomatoes for Greek tomato donuts

One of the joys of this recipe is its flexibility. Do you have deadly market tomatoes? Some languid sub-prime on the counter? Use them. Most juicy tomatoes may require additional flour, while the firmest need less. And although these are better made in summer with ripe fruits, they forgive enough to satisfy the desires of tomatoes off season too.

A donut built on juicy tomatoes

Unlike many donuts, such as zucchini fritters, which require the removal of the moisture of the main vegetable to reach the sharpness, tomato donuts embrace their ingredient juicy stars. This recipe balances the natural humidity of the tomato with flour, eggs, herbs and brackish feta to create a spoonful paste which is directly in hot oil – no difficult shaping.

The texture of the dough is the key. It should be somewhere between the loose tuna salad and a thick scoopable dip like tzatziki. If, after the mixture, the dough feels too loose – often the case with more juicy and ripe tomatoes – Azé a tablespoon of flour both until it holds its shape without becoming steep or pasty. I like to use a mixture of chopped and grated tomatoes in my donuts. The minced tomatoes create bursts of flavors and red spots lively on the surface, while the grated tomato gives the donuts a uniform shade and burned by the sun and a lush tomato flavor everywhere.

Serve bectors

Once fried in deep golden red, the donuts are better served with a generous spoon of full Greek yogurt. Crispy, craggly and rich in tomato, herbs and feta, they are an an aperitif or an ideal meze.

Another great thing about this recipe is the ease with which it is adaptable to everything that is in your screech: choose a star vegetable, combine it with herbs, aromatics, cheese, egg and flour and fry until they are golden. It will not physically transport you to Santorini, but it will take your taste buds.

Cook mode
(Keep the screen awake)