Introduction :

Inspired by a recent holiday in Greece, these Courgette Fritters are utterly delicious – a thin, light, crispy golden batter coating slightly crunchy courgettes sprinkled with lots of sea salt. They are best eaten as soon as they are ready, so are not ideal to cook for more than a few people at a time.

However, they can be fried in advance, drained on kitchen towel, laid in one layer on a baking sheet and re-heated for a few minutes in a hot oven just before required. Not quite as good as freshly made, but good enough, especially if served as a vegetable along side other things rather than as a starter or nibble in their own right.

The thinner the batter, the crispier the end result will be although some batter will be lost in the oil when frying. It is most important that the batter rests for an hour or more as this prevents it sliding off the courgettes during cooking.

Method :

1. To make the batter, mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl with the olive oil and gradually incorporate the beer using a wooden spoon or small hand whisk. The consistency should be that of double cream. Leave to stand for the minimum of an hour.

2. Cut the courgettes lengthways into flat slices no thicker than a pound coin - a little thinner if possible. If the courgettes are large, cut them in half horizontally before cutting into flat slices.

3. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a frying or sauté pan – the oil doesn’t need to be deep – and when hot dip a few courgette slices in the batter and place them in the pan. You will need to do this in several batches. When golden brown and crispy underneath, turn the courgettes over to brown the other side. Drain on kitchen towel, sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately.