Freezing Courgette Fritters

Asked by Boogiebear. Answered on 1st February 2016

Full question

I would like to serve the Courgette Fritters warm as part of a buffet which includes vegetarians. I should like to get ahead with these and an thinking of cooking and freezing them in. Will these freeze well? Would I be able to bake them to serve warm and if so is it best to do this from frozen or defrost them fully first? Many thanks - these have had good reviews and is a slightly less stodge option as part of the buffet table for vegetarians.

Our answer

Unfortunately most fritters, including Nigella's Courgette Fritters (from Forever Summer and on the Nigella website), are never as good reheated as it is difficult to get the same crisp crust and they can be a little soft. Consequently we have not tried freezing or reheating the fritters so cannot guarantee that they will reheat well. However if you did want to try freezing them then we would suggest that you cool the cooked fritters as quickly as possible and then (within 2 hours) freeze them on baking sheets lined with baking parchment (parchment paper). Once the fritters are solid stack them in airtight containers, with baking parchment between the layers of fritters, and freeze for up to 1 month. We would suggest thawing the fritters overnight in the fridge then spreading them on baking sheets and reheating them in an oven preheated to 200c (400F) for 8 - 10 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through.

Reheated foods should be treated with extra care. It is important that you reheat the fritters until piping hot in the centre and not until just warm. Let the fritters cool slightly and then serve straightaway. We would also suggest that you do not let the fritters stand on the buffet table for too long. If you can cook the fritters close to the time of the buffet then they should keep hot in an oven preheated to 100c (200F) for around 1 hour. If possible sit the fritters on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet while keeping them warm, as they tend to stay crisper.