Courgettes are in abundance in the UK in summer. If you grow your own, you’ll know how prolific they are. Just one plant is usually enough to keep a family in stock for weeks.
Once they’ve started to fruit, remove the delicate flowers, fill them with soft cheese and herbs, dip them in batter and deep-fry for a gorgeous snack.
Another really easy way to make the most of this seasonal treat is grating it into fritters. These can be whipped up really quickly, and make a fab light dinner or lunch with salad or even a few cheeky chips.
Our recipe is savoury, a little spicy, and oh-so-moreish.
Ingredients (makes several)
- 1 medium courgette
- 1 green chilli
- 4 spring onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 75g strong Cheddar
- 1 medium egg
- Self-raising flour
- Seasoning
- Oil for cooking
Method
1. Using a box grater (you don’t want it too fine), grate your courgette into a bowl. Deseed and finely slice your chilli and spring onions, and finely chop the garlic. Add these to the courgette. Grate the cheese and add this to the mixture. Add the fennel. Beat in the egg. Now add a large handful of flour. You’ll need to do this by eye. You want just enough to make a thickish batter – just a little thicker than American pancake mix. Add more if you need to. Season to taste.
2. Turn your oven to 180C and line a baking sheet.
3. Heat a generous amount of oil or butter in a frying pan and add heaped tablespoons of the batter. They’ll spread a little, so leave at least 3cm between them. Cook over a medium heat until you can see they’re getting golden underneath. Turn carefully and allow to colour on the other side. Move them to the baking sheet and pop in the oven while you finish the rest.
4. Eat immediately with your favourite sauce.
