20 MINUTES

Freestyle fritters

*Fritters* - my favourite way to give any older veg sitting at the back of the fridge a new lease of life! This is a rough guide to using up odds and ends of root veg - sweet potatoes, celeriac, potatoes and carrots all work well.

METHOD

  1. Roughly grate your root veg like carrots, potato, sweet potato. Give them a squeeze to release any extra moisture.

  2. Gently fry a little onion or leek in butter or oil with salt and pepper plus spices / dried or fresh herbs, garlic or chilli. You could skip this step and just add these ingredients to a bowl with the raw grated veg if you’re short on time.

  3. Whisk one large egg then combine with the grated veg & flavourings. If you don't have egg or would rather not use, then you can still make these but they will be flatter/thinner/crispier and just as delicious.

  4. Add flour, a few tbsp at a time. Chickpea flour (gram flour) is great and inexpensive and hopefully still as widely available as it usually is. It’s great if you’re not using the egg too. Use whatever flour works.

  5. Mix everything together with your hands. I like to fry a tsp amount at first then taste to check I've got the seasoning right. Then divide the rest of the mix into fritter shapes or bigger burgers or smaller falafel size balls. Chill in fridge if you have time, it helps them hold together. Then fry in the original pan for about 3 minutes each side (make sure they're spaced out and leave them be so they can get a *golden crust* or they'll fall apart) and then finish them off in the oven. Or you could skip the frying side and bake them in the oven. If one or two fall apart, no biggie, just pack them back together.

  6. Serve with yoghurt or chilli sauce or something cool and creamy to dip into.

INGREDIENTS

This is more of a guide than a recipe so the list below is only a suggestion of ingredients!

Root veg: sweet potatoes, celeriac, potatoes, carrots - whatever needs using up

Olive oil or butter for frying

2 spring onions, 1/2 onion or 1/2 leek

Your favourite herbs and spices

1 egg

Flour to bind, I like chickpea (gram) flour

Sea salt and black pepper

A lovely sauce for dipping: yoghurt with a little grated garlic and olive oil, salsa verde, chilli sauce, tahini sauce, whatever you like!