leek fritters

leek fritters with coriander and garlic yoghurt

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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