Folks, we have happened upon one of my favorite times of year. Not only does today mark the first day of Spring (It’s here! Finally!), it’s also asparagus season! Four out of seven dinners over the last week included this tasty veggie- and that statement makes even more of an impact when I tell you that I was out of town for two of those nights.
Roasting is probably my preferred veggie eating method (even for cabbage, which I wrote about here), but sometimes you want something a little different than cubed chicken over a mound (literally) of asparagus! In the interest of branching out, I created this easy little fritter recipe which combines the asparagus with brown rice in a crispy fritter. The recipe is simple and filling and just different enough to excuse you from the monotony of wash-roast-eat-repeat (not that I’m judging).
- 1/2 bunch thin asparagus (half of my bunch yielded about 20 thin stalks)
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used chicken stock for extra flavor when preparing)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour
- butter (to garnish)
- Wash asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium high. Add asparagus and onions, saute until asparagus is bright green and both the asparagus and onions are tender. Set aside to cool for about ten minutes.
- Add rice, cheese, egg, salt, pepper, flour and the asparagus/onion mixture to a bowl and stir until blended.
- Heat remaining olive oil to medium high heat. Shape balls of the fritter mixture into cakes about 3 inches wide. Place the cakes into the oil (go in batches so you don't crowd the pan) and flatten if needed so the cake is roughly the same thickness throughout.
- Fry on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Top with a small pat of butter.
- If your cakes are a bit too sticky before frying, refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow them to firm up.
- The recipe makes 5-6 fritters.
The best part about these asparagus brown rice fritters is the combo of a crunchy exterior and a soft, savory inside. I topped my frittesr with some kosher salt on top of the melted butter, but couldn’t help thinking that a thin smear of goat cheese right on top would be extra delightful!
