Leek Fritters

A bunch of leeks appeared in the veggie box the other week.  I’d made leek & potato soup just the other week & turned to the master of greens; Ottolenghi, for some green inspiration.  And sure enough Plenty did not disappoint.  

I couldn’t resist sweet, soft leeks wrapped up in spicy fritters. They made for the perfect winter comfort food & you even get to feel a little good at the same time eating all those lovely leeks. And to top it off a zingy creamy sauce that is bursting with herbs & zest & has definite potential to be highly addictive.

Like with a lot of Ottolenghi recipes there is quite a list of ingredients, but nothing too out there so you’ll likely find them all in your pantry & they are what at the end of the day makes these fritters such tasty morsels.

Leek Fritters, from Ottolenghi’s Plenty

Serves four

Ingredients

For the sauce

100g Greek yogurt

100g sour cream

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

20g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

30g coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the fritters

3 leeks (450g trimmed weight)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

140ml olive oil

1 red chilli, deseeded & sliced

25g parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 egg white

120g self-raising flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 egg

150ml milk

55g unsalted butter, melted

Directions

First of all make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients into the bowl of a food processor & blitz together until a wonderful green. Set the sauce aside until ready to serve.

Cut the leeks into 2cm thick rounds, rinse & dry. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat & add 5 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the leeks & shallots & sauté until soft; it will take about 15 minutes.  Transfer the leeks & shallots to a bowl & add the chilli, parsley, spices, sugar & salt. Leave to cool.

Whisk the egg white to soft peaks & fold it into the vegetables. In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, egg, milk & butter & stir well to form a batter. Gently mix this into the egg white & vegetable mixture.

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat & spoon the mixture into the pan to make 3 large fritters, & fry for two to three minutes each side, until golden & crisp. Transfer to kitchen towel & place in a low oven to keep warm.   Repeat, adding oil as needed, until the mixture is all used up. Serve warm with the sauce on the side or drizzled over.

Oh my! As with all Ottolenghi fritter like concoctions these do not disappoint.  They are light & fluffy with just a hint of sweetness perfectly off set by the bright, fresh zingy green sauce.  It is quite the addictive sauce & the leftovers have found their way on to salads & chicken.

Enjoy!