Broccoli Fritters and Fennel Yogurt

Preheat oven to 450°F. Chop off the stalks of the fennel and separate from the fronds, keeping them for later. Slice off the bottom of the bulb where the layers connect. Keeping the layers together, slice across the bulb, width-wise, to create thin strips, and slice the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces. Put on a sheet pan, sprinkle it with salt, and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Roast until golden-brown, about 10–15 minutes, then flip the fennel and roast for another 10 minutes. Cool and chop fennel into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine yogurt, chopped roasted fennel, half the fennel fronds (save the other half for finishing), lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix and refrigerate until ready to serve with fritters.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Separate broccoli florets from the biggest stem(s), cutting into 1-inch chunks. Slice stems into 1/4-inch lengths; this should equal about 3 cups of chopped broccoli. To steam broccoli until tender but not mushy, bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add broccoli, cover, and simmer for 5–6 minutes. Drain broccoli, then set aside to cool slightly in a bowl.

In bottom of a large bowl, lightly beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water. Add flour, cheese, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper flakes. Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the broccoli just a bit. Keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (1/4- to 1/2-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed, fold the ingredients together with a spoon.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, drop a 2-tablespoon mound of the batter into the pan and flatten it slightly with a spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each fritter. Once brown underneath, about 2–3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1–2 minutes.

Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then to a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining fritters. Serve with fennel yogurt.