Based off of the broccoli and cottage cheese pancakes from Adeena Sussman’s book, Sababa, these lemony, herb-filled green pea fritters are delicate and faintly crisp, equally excellent eaten hot out of the pan or at room temperature.
The cottage cheese might seem like an unusual addition. One bite and the importance of its role is revealed. It dissolves into the fritters, creating a lacy network of molten cheese throughout, offering moisture and an extra boost of protein with no trace of gumminess. Stick with whole-milk cottage cheese. If yours is thick and not too runny, reduce the flour to ¼ cup so the fritters stay airy and light.
The frozen green peas are a calculated choice—blissfully economical and so conveniently sized they can be tossed into the batter straight from frozen, where they thaw in the heat of the pan by the time the fritters are set. Always buy frozen green peas labelled “sweet” or “baby”; they tend to be the most tender with none of the grassy, muddy flavors of their larger, starchier siblings.
