Courgette Fritters
One of the first things Huw and I ever spoke about were courgette recipes. He had an idea for a collection of recipes to help make the most of this glut of a crop. We half joked about writing an entire cookbook about courgettes alone, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised just how versatile this ingredient really is. Since then we’ve launched The Farmer and Chef and low and behold here we are, in the middle of the courgette bonanza! With this in mind, there are only so many ways I can announce another courgette recipe, but for those of you with a couple of courgette plants in your garden, I know you’re going to need all the inspiration you can get to make the most of the harvests coming your way. These prolific plants produce an incredible amount that we can make use of in a myriad of ways. And even if you don’t have a courgette or two in your garden, go buy them now! They’re in season, tasty as hell and cheap.
These courgette fritters are made using just three ingredients and they’re flexible enough to go with anything else you might decide to cook. In the photo above I had lots of beans and peas that needed to be eaten, but I also had half a cucumber, a chili and some lemon; so I macerated them in some lemon juice for half an hour and served it with a borlotti and lemon sauce (think tahini and lemon dressing). But you could just as easily enjoy them as a side with some chili jam, hummus, a salad, or as part of a cooked breakfast, or even spice them to serve alongside a curry. They. Are. Fab.
There is one simple trick to this recipe that makes all the difference. Salt. Don’t worry, if you’re like me and keep an eye on how much salt you’re eating, most of the salt in this recipe end up dissolving into the water the courgettes give off (which we discard before cooking). The trick here is to grate the courgettes 30 minutes before you plan to cook and add two pinches of salt. Mix it up, cover and set aside. 30 minutes later, tip the whole lot into a fine mesh sieve and give it a good squeeze! You’ll be amazed how much water comes out. Removing the water like this leaves a drier courgette that' fries nicely and goes crispy. And as you’re about to find out, besides courgette, all you need is 40g of self raising wholemeal flour and 50g of grated cheese (I used a parmesan type, but anything firm will do).
Courgette Fritters
Serves 2 Sides
2 Medium courgettes
40g Self raising wholemeal flour (roughly 1 heaped tbsp per courgette)
50g Parmesan (or coconut based alternative)
Season to taste
Optional: Freshly picked sage, parsley, or coriander
Step 1.
Grate and salt the courgettes, then set it aside for 30 minutes. You’ll want to give it a mix when you add the salt to make sure it’s distributed throughout.
Step 2.
Tip the contents of the bowl into a sieve and squeeze as much water from it as possible. Pop it back in the bowl and add the flour, cheese and anything else you’d like! Mix until the flour has absorbed any leftover water and formed a thick batter.
Step 3.
Heat a frying pan on a high temperature and add a splash of oil when it is hot enough. Use a tablespoon to portion each fritter and place it carefully on the hot frying pan. Using the back of the spoon, squash the fritter into shape as it cooks. After 2-3 minutes, use a spatula to flip each fritter and continue to cook until the other side is crispy and golden too.
Use a paper towel to lay the cooked fritters on as this will help remove excess oil. In the process of frying food, very little oil is absorbed during the cooking process compared to the amount that is when the food rests after being cooked. So it’s really important to remove it and avoid an overly greasy fritter.
Tip: If you aren’t confident at cooking quickly at high temperatures, turn the oven on low and store the cooked fritters on a plate whilst you batch cook the rest.
Secret Tip Number 2…
July and August are the harvesting months for a naughty little treat here in Britain; one that goes very nicely with these courgette fritters if you pop them in the frying pan alongside each other. Apricot.
So feel free to have fun with this recipe. I’d love to hear of all the ways you adapt and get creative with this super easy and very flexible recipe. If anybody has some spare potato or beetroot, grate them into the mix too and treat them exactly as you did the courgettes.