Sophie Wright's cheesy cauliflower fritters

GALLERY

Everyone agrees that cauliflower cheese is delicious, but this recipe gives you a lovely variation. Enjoy alongside a roast dinner or as a great veggie starter.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes about 16 fritters

Ingredients

½ large cauliflower, cut into florets
60g / 2oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g / 3oz Freedom Food labelled Cheddar or Gruyère cheese
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp dried red chilli
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole Freedom Food labelled eggs
600ml / 1 pint vegetable oil for deep-frying

Method

Place the cauliflower into boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Don’t let it go soggy, slightly under cooked is great because you want the fritters to have a bit of texture.

Drain and rinse the florets under cold water to stop the cooking process. Chop them into smallish chunks and place in a bowl.

Sift the flour and the baking powder into a mixing bowl and add the cheese, nutmeg and chilli. Season. Make a well in the centre and drop in the eggs. Slowly mix with a wooden spoon until it is all incorporated and most of the lumps have gone. Fold in the cauliflower florets and coat thoroughly in the batter.

Heat the oil, preferably in a deep-fat fryer, to 170⁰C / 325F / Gas Mark 3. If you don’t have one, heat the oil in a deep-sided pan. It will be at the correct temperature if you drop in a piece of bread and it bubbles instantly.

Take a tablespoonful of the mix and slide it into the fryer, using another spoon to push the mix off if it helps. Always work away from you when deep-frying. Fry the fritters until golden brown and remove from the oil. Place on absorbent paper, sprinkle with salt. Serve alongside a roast dinner or as a great veggie starter.

For more recipes by Sophie Wright, see her latest book Cook on a Shoestring