Carrot and cilantro fritters

Fritters are amazing, and almost every culture in the world has a fritter of some type, either sweet or savoury. They also vary from being deep-fried to shallow-fried, the latter being almost feather-like and flaky. Vegetable fritters are among my favourite dishes; there are so many variations that highlight the vegetables' flavours.

This is a simple and lovely fritter. The carrot is still chewy and crisp, I love that, and the cilantro adds a herby nuance to the dish.

Nigel Slater is one of my favourite cookbook authors, food writers and broadcasters and one who has transformed English cuisine. He has received the very coveted OBE for his work in publishing and culinary services. I have a few of his many cookbooks. Seemingly simple dishes that are always fantastic on the palate, like these potatoes, are a hallmark of his cooking.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb carrots, coarsely grated

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 egg

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup cilantro, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Olive oil to fry

Mix all the ingredients together well in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan and drizzle with some oil. Add a teaspoon-sized dab of the batter and fry for 1 minute on each side on a medium flame. Flip and cook the other side until browned. Cool and taste for salt. The flavours should be well-balanced, with the cilantro coming on strong.

Fry 2-3 heaped tablespoons at a time, allowing them to spread out naturally into circles. Flip when browned and fry for another 2 minutes. Remove onto paper towels to drain. Repeat with the rest of the batter, getting about 16-20 fritters.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.