041Tomato fritters of Santorini

Method

Santorini home style. Makes about 12 to 14 fritters; best served as a meze with tzatziki or sheep's milk yoghurt.

You will need

• colander
• mixing bowl
• large frying pan
• slotted spoon
• kitchen paper

1. Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander, toss with half the salt, and leave to drain for 15 minutes to release excessive liquid. 15 min Ready when: tomatoes shed watery juice but remain moist
2. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a mixing bowl and stir in the red onion, spring onions, mint, parsley, oregano, remaining salt, and black pepper. 2 min Ready when: herbs thoroughly distributed
3. Whisk the baking powder into the flour, then fold into the tomato mixture a few spoonfuls at a time until a thick, spoonable batter forms. 3 min Ready when: batter holds its shape briefly on a spoon without running
4. Heat 1 centimetre of olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. 4 min · 180°C / 355°F Ready when: a drop of batter sizzles immediately
5. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the hot oil, spacing them well, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned and crisp. 6 min Ready when: edges turn dark golden and crunchy
6. Transfer the fritters to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain briefly, then serve immediately while hot. 2 min Ready when: excess oil blotted

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Make ahead and storing

The tomato mixture can be chopped in advance, but do not stir in the flour until right before frying, or the salt will draw out more water and make the batter gummy.

Eat fresh. Any leftovers soften quickly; reheat in a hot dry pan or oven to crisp up.

Substitutions

• firm ripe beef tomatoes for ripe plum or cherry tomatoes. Scoop out the watery seed jelly before dicing to keep moisture low.

Common mistakes

• Adding too much flour to compensate for watery tomatoes. It results in heavy, doughy fritters rather than a crisp, juicy bite.
• Frying at too low a temperature. The batter absorbs excessive oil and becomes greasy instead of setting a crisp crust.

Regional variants

• Santorini traditional (strictly vegan, using local dry-farmed cherry tomatoes)
• Cycladic taverna style (incorporating crumbled dry xinomyzithra or feta into the batter)

About the dish

Tomatokeftedes are the defining meze of Santorini, developed out of necessity on an arid volcanic island where water was scarce. The local thick-skinned, intensely concentrated cherry tomatoes (anydrodomata) yielded little excess water, making them suitable for binding into crisp patties with flour, onion, and herbs. While now eaten across the Cyclades during the summer months, the dish remains tied to the volcanic soil of Santorini.

Found in Cyclades. Cooked for everyday, summer, lent.

Cousins elsewhere

• Mücver (Turkish). Both are flour-bound vegetable fritters shallow-fried in oil, though mücver typically centres on courgettes and includes egg.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

421 kcal · protein 5.5 g · fat 28.3 g (saturated 3.9 g) · carbohydrate 37.9 g (sugars 5.1 g) · fibre 3.4 g · sodium 711 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Following the Cycladic island practice of relying solely on flour and tomato juices to bind the batter, omitting eggs..

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