leek fritters
This is a cheeky treat from Ottolenghi’s latest, Plenty. I picked it out to cook expecting something quite nice but it simply floored me how good it was. There’s a lightness there, provided by the egg white I guess. Paired with a potent, tangy yoghurt this makes a pretty filling but very tasty brunch (or dinner when helped along by a salad – the brown specks on mine are a balsamic dressing!).
(It should be noted my method is adapted from Ottolenghi’s according to store cupboard and mood)
Leek fritters (serves 4):
3 leeks, sliced
1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon coriander
Handful of chopped parsley
150g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50g butter, melted
1 egg
Some milk
1 egg white, whisked to soft peaks
For the garlic and coriander yoghurt:
300ml Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Handful of chopped coriander
1 garlic clove, grated
- Fry the onions and leeks gently until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool, adding the spices, parsley, some seasoning and a pinch of sugar.
- Combine the flour, whole egg, butter and baking powder and add enough milk to make a thick batter. Combine the leek mixture with this batter and fold in the whipped egg white.
- Cover the base of a pan with oil and get over a medium heat. Add large dollops of fritter mix to form pancakes and allow to brown underneath before flipping. This will take about 4 minutes on each side. Fry in batches until all done, draining on kitchen paper until needed.
- To make the yoghurt sauce, combine all the ingredients. Taste often, adding more lemon / oil / salt and pepper as required. A squeeze of lemon over the fritters wouldn’t go amiss either.
This is one I definitely want to try 🙂
Do it, they’re fantastic. The Ott-meister adds some diced red chilli too, as well as sour cream to the dip. Great I’m sure, just couldn’t be bothered to get them 🙂
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