Courgette & Herb Fritters

Courgette & Herb Fritters

Summer

There’s a thick, circular cast-iron hot plate that hangs on the wall above my cooker in the kitchen. We picked it up at a car-boot sale years ago. I don’t know how old it is, but I can tell it’s been well used. I sometimes wonder where it came from, who made it and what sort of things have been cooked on it over the years. I’ve come to love my heavy, old hot plate. I can use it inside on my smart induction hob (who’d have thought?) or set it down over the flames of a fire in the garden, where it seems more at home. In the summer we cook these fritters on the hot plate using courgettes from the garden and lots of fresh herbs. They make a lovely supper, served alongside a leafy green salad and a bowl of buttery new potatoes.

Makes 6 - 8

Ingredients

  • 2 courgettes (zucchini)
  • 50g (1.75oz) plain / all-purpose flour
  • 50g (1.75oz) mature cheddar, grated
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or crushed to a paste
  • Finely grated zest of ½ lemon (save the lemon for serving)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
To Serve
  • Handful of dill, chopped
  • Handful of mint leaves, chopped
  • Lemon wedges

Method

Trim the courgettes and grate them coarsely. Take handfuls of the grated courgette and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible, then place the squeezed flesh into a bowl.

Stir in the flour, cheddar, chilli flakes, garlic, lemon zest, egg, and baking powder. Season with salt and pepper, and mix until everything is evenly combined.

Heat a large heavy-based frying pan or cast-iron hot plate over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, spoon the mixture into the pan, forming either one large fritter or several smaller ones.

Cook until the fritters are crisp and golden on the underside, then flip and cook the other side in the same way. They usually take about 4–5 minutes per side.

Serve warm with chopped dill and mint, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a little flaky sea salt.

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