Fried Green Meatless Balls

Name: Fried Green Meatless Balls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz Leafy Greens (8-10 oz greens, about 10 cups loosely packed, see notes above — up to 10); 3 tbsp Olive Oil (3 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil); 1 piece Yellow Onion (1 small yellow onion, diced); 0 pieces Table Salt (salt, to taste); 2 cloves Garlic (2 cloves garlic, chopped); ½ cup Cilantro (1/2 cup cilantro); 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds (1 tablespoon cumin seeds); 1 cup Panko (1 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko); ¼ cup Feta Cheese (1/4 cup crumbled feta); 1 piece Egg (1 or 2 eggs — up to 2); 0 pieces Canola Oil (oil for frying)

Vegetarian fried balls made with sautéed greens, onion, garlic, cumin, breadcrumbs, and feta, shaped and pan-fried until golden.

40 minAmerican

Servings3

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Steps

1If you haven’t made your bread crumbs yet, purée some stale bread in a food processor first. Transfer to a storage vessel. Set aside. No need to wash the processor.
2Tear the greens into rough pieces; then pulse them in a food processor or finely chop with a knife—they should be small but not puréed or mushy. Set aside.
3If you are using garlic scapes, purée them in the food processor, transfer to a storage vessel and set aside.
4If you are using Swiss chard, remove the leaves from the stems, and finely chop the stems.
5Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil, onion, Swiss chard stems, if using, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, and cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add the garlic or garlic scape purée, and cilantro. Cook for 1 minute more.
6Add the greens to the pan and sauté for a minute or two, until they have wilted. Turn the mixture into a large bowl.
7Let cool for five minutes, then add the bread crumbs and feta. Mix well, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste—this is your chance to get the seasoning right while the mixture is egg-free. Crack one egg into the bowl and mix with your hands to incorporate. Squeeze a small ball of the mixture. If it holds together, begin portioning out the remaining mixture into small balls. If it doesn’t hold together, add another egg. I usually find one egg to be enough.
8The key, I think, before frying, is to really make sure you squeeze the portions into tight balls.
9Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add balls to pan—they should sizzle when they hit the oil—then turn heat down to medium or medium-low. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Use a fork to flip the balls to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes or so.
10Transfer to a serving platter. Let cool, then taste one. Sprinkle with sea salt if you wish and serve with lemon on the side. These are delicious warm, at room temperature or cold straight from the fridge.