Root vegetable fritters

Root vegetable fritters

Ingredients

one large parsnip, about 160g
one large potato, about 180g
one medium onion, peeled
3 artichoke hearts, in oil
one small red pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Juice 1/2 lemon
one 60g egg
3 tsp dried chives, or small bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp dried dill, or 4-5 sprigs fresh dill
½ tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
dry breadcrumbs
oil for frying

easyThese crisp vegetable cakes are flavoured with dill, lemon and onion are a great substitute if you’re looking for an alternative to crab or fishcakes. The texture is light and delicate, with a crisp outside. Roll them in some breadcrumbs so they shallow-fry without sticking: perhaps even your own home-made breadcrumbs from your baking. Serve these with a dollop of tartar sauce on our soft golden carrot burger buns for a taste that’s a hundred nautical miles better than a fillet-o-fish.

At BakeryBits we also have some great olive oil – like Antonio's Extra Virgin Olive Oil - you can use to fry these fritters in: I mix it half-and-half with sunflower oil and keep it in a storage bottle to create a home-mixed general cooking oil that has a really vibrant flavour.

The egg is an easy way to hold everything together but if you want to keep it egg free replace it with 2-3 tsp flour and enough liquid (a milk substitute is good) to bind everything softly. You might also fry them slightly longer so that the flour’s starchiness is cooked away.

Make 5-6 medium-sized fritters

Grate the parsnip and potato coarsely (I leave the skin on) then grate the peeled onion. Place this in a mixing bowl, finely slice the artichoke hearts and the red pepper (minus the seeds and stalk) and add these with the salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Toss everything together really well then leave for 10 minutes to allow the salt and sugar to draw the water out of the vegetables. Then scoop up handfuls of the grated vegetables, squeeze all the liquid out: save it in another bowl, add to a soup or stockpot, it tastes really good.

Return the relatively dry vegetables to the empty bowl, add the egg, and stir through evenly. Add the herbs (these can be whatever suits you) and cayenne them mix well. Taste, season with salt and pepper.

Have a frying pan ready over a moderate heat with a thin layer of oil on it. Take a scoop of the vegetable mixture, about the size of an egg, and spoon it onto breadcrumbs on a plate. Sprinkle more breadcrumbs on top, then press it all firmly together. Fry two or three shaped and crumbed fritter like this in the pan for about 3-4 minutes each side, being careful that they don’t burn. If the oil is a bit hot turn it down, or finish the cooking of all fritters on a tray in the oven. Either serve immediately or leave to cool and reheat in the oven when needed. Delicious as burgers in our golden carrot burger buns.

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