Courgette & Parmesan Fritters

These little fritters are an utter delight! Light, crunchy, not greasy at all, they are great even in this hot summer weather. You can serve them as an interesting side dish, tasty starter or as a nibble with drinks. The recipe is my mum's, although I have increased the quantity of Parmesan in my version. I strongly advise you to use super-fresh, firm courgettes that are not too large in size, as the big ones tend to taste a bit marrow-like.

INGREDIENTS (makes about 20 fritters)

• 3 medium sized courgettes
• 1 medium-sized potato
• A big handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of plain flour
• 1 free range/organic egg
• Salt & pepper
• Sunflower oil for frying

Using a Cheddar cheese grater, grate the courgettes and potato and place them in a bowl. 

Add the grated Parmesan, the flour, egg, salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients well. Bear in mind that if you let this mixture sit around for too long the vegetables will start releasing water and they will go soggy, so be ready to cook the fritters immediately.

Warm up a frying up with sunflower oil to a depth of 2 cm. The oil must not be too hot, otherwise your fritters will burn before they can cook through. Using your hands, shape the mixture in small, flat patties and drop them in to the hot oil. 

Let each fritter cook gently and when they are golden on one side, flip them over and let them acquire the same colour on the other side. 

Fish them out with a slotted spoon and lay them on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and serve while they are still warm. Mmmm :-)