Zucchini Pancakes, Turkish Style
AYTEKIN YAR, the executive chef at Dardanel on the Upper East Side, eats mucver — delicate, crisp zucchini pancakes — at four in the afternoon, before he starts cooking for the dinner crowd. “I love it because it’s tasty, and it’s not heavy,” Mr. Yar said. His version of mucver (pronounced MOOSH-vair) has not just shredded zucchini, but also tiny clouds of feta and a sprinkling of minced fresh dill and scallions. They are crisp on the outside, tender within and subtly herbaceous. Mr. Yar was born in Turkey, and his grandmother and mother made the dish a bit differently there. “They fry it, and they chop the pancake and mix it with yogurt,” he said. His version is presented as five-inch round pancakes, the garlicky yogurt sauce on the side, but the home cook can make them smaller in diameter. In Turkey, and in the United States, mucver is often eaten as an appetizer. But it can be the centerpiece of a meal, with a salad of sliced tomatoes lightly dressed with oil and vinegar on the side. The trick to making the pancakes crisp and not soggy is to squeeze all the water out of the zucchini before mixing it with the other ingredients. A little brute force is required.
FOR THE PANCAKES:
3 medium zucchini, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, more as needed
FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE:
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.
3. Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Place heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about 3/8 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.
4. For yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and salt. Mix well, and serve on the side or on pancakes.