Perfect for a light lunch, starter or snack: asparagus and artichoke fritters with herby yoghurt, and leek fritters with a lemony, green sauce
Perfect for a light lunch, starter or snack: asparagus and artichoke fritters with herby yoghurt, and leek fritters with a lemony, green yoghurt sauce ust three days to go, people! Three days until the equinox when, at 11.
06pm, the sun sits directly over the Earth’s equator as it moves northwards. With both hemispheres sharing the sun’s rays equally, night and day are roughly the same length and the season officially, finally, changes. For those of us who look to our plates as much as we look to the sky, this change in season in the UK is marked, unofficially, by the arrival of one wonderful thing: asparagus! It’s here, and we can all boil it and char it and steam, grill or bake it as much as we can during its short season. I’m never one to miss out on the opportunity to make fritters, so frying is going to be first up in my kitchen, not least because it’s also at long last time to open the kitchen window.These make for a lovely light lunch, starter or snack. If you’ve got any other crunchy spring vegetables that need using up, feel free to use them instead of the asparagus – the likes of Tenderstem broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots all work well.Put all the ingredients for the herb yoghurt in a small food processor and blitz smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and set aside. Put all the fritter ingredients except the oil in a large bowl with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and mix well to combine. Put the oil in a medium-sized frying pan on a medium-high heat. Test it’s hot enough by dropping in a small pinch of the fritter mix – it should sizzle immediately. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, use a large metal spoon to drop 60-70g portions of the fritter mixture into the hot oil, easing them off with a smaller spoon, and fry for two to three minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Drain on a large plate lined with kitchen paper while you repeat with the rest; if you like, keep the fritters warm in a low oven. Once all the fritters are cooked, arrange them on a platter and serve with the herb yoghurt on the side for dipping. The natural sweetness of leeks, with their soft, oniony aroma, makes them the perfect cold-weather comfort food, especially in the form of fritters. The creamy sauce that accompanies them, full of herbs and zest, is unreservedly delicious.First make the sauce. Put all the ingredients into a food processor, blitz until smooth and a uniform green, then put to one side. Cut the leeks into 2cm-thick rounds, rinse under cold water, then drain and dry. Put five tablespoons of the oil in a pan on a medium heat, then saute the leeks and shallots, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until soft. Transfer to a bowl, mix in the chilli, parsley, spices, sugar and salt, and leave to cool. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks, then fold it into the cooled vegetable mix. In a second bowl, mix the whole egg, flour, baking powder, milk and butter to make a batter, then gently stir into the vegetable and egg white mixture. Put two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Test it’s hot enough by dropping in a small pinch of the fritter mix – it should sizzle immediately. Working in batches, drop four large spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry for two to three minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked fritters to a large plate lined with kitchen towel to drain, then repeat with the remaining fritter mix, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Transfer the cooked fritters to a platter and serve warm with the sauce on the side or drizzled all over the top.Yotam Ottolenghi has been inspiring home cooks with Guardian recipes since 2006. Now he and his team are here to help with all your kitchen questions in a new weekly column. Whether it’s about skills, kit or ingredients, they’re the experts with the answers. Ask away ... Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see ourYour responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For true anonymity please use ourYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
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