Carrot Fritters with Yogurt Sauce and Carrot Top Chimichurri

This was, improbably, one of the best things I have made in quite a while. I don't even like carrots overly much. I made the fritters because I had some (admittedly beautiful rainbow) carrots leftover from a stew I made (recipe coming eventually), and I made the chimichurri because I can't bear to throw out a huge bunch of edible greens. I did not expect the warmly spiced fritters to have such a glorious balance of flavor and texture, and I didn't even expect to like the chimichurri that much at all. I was worried the whole thing would be too overwhelmingly carrot-y - soggy fritters with a bland, oily sauce on top. But, improbably, I made them despite these concerns. And, equally improbably, they were unbelievable.

I could go on about what chimichurri is and how this is a twist on the classic, how you don't need to measure anything for the yogurt sauce or any spices for the fritters, and how my terrible nighttime pictures don't do them justice, but I'm just going to tell you to make these. Seek out carrots with leafy tops, rainbow ones if you can, and make these fritters ASAP.

Carrot Fritters with Yogurt Sauce and Carrot Top Chimichurri

Yield: about 20 fritters (serves 4-6)

Fritters adapted from King Arthur Flour

Chimichurri adapted from Love & Lemons

Ingredients

For the chimichurri:

1 c finely chopped carrot greens

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c white wine vinegar

1/4 c olive oil

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 c Greek yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

Kosher salt

Drizzle of olive oil

For the fritters:

1 lb carrots, scrubbed but only peeled if you're particular about that sort of thing

2 eggs

1/4 c flour, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

Vegetable oil

1. Make the yogurt sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
2. Make the chimichurri: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste on a cracker or small piece of bread and adjust seasonings as necessary.
3. Make the fritters: Preheat the oven to 200 (or lowest setting). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels and set aside.
4. Grate carrots on the large holes of a box grater. Lightly beat the eggs, then mix all ingredients in a large bowl. The batter will not look very cohesive, and that's fine, but if it's really loose, add flour 1 tbsp at a time until the carrots look lightly coated.
5. Heat a few tbsp oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once a small pinch of batter sizzles when dropped in the oil, you can start cooking the fritters.
6. Drop batter by rounded spoonsful into the oil and press down gently with a spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a side, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet when done. Keep warm in the oven until serving time.
7. Serve warm with the two sauces and rice, if desired (the sauces are fantastic on rice). Enjoy!