Courgette Fritters, with Tsatsiki

 I first came across a (rather basic) recipe for this some years ago in a collection by Lyndsey Bareham, and I was happy to adopt it as another way of dealing with this somewhat uninspiring but entirely reliable vegetable. This version, however, is adapted from the book of Turkish recipes  by Ozlem Warren which I found under the tree last Christmas, and which I cannot recommend too highly. 

For two servings(about ten fritters).

Ingredients: 2 medium courgettes; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove; small handful of parsley; 1 tbs chopped dill; salt; pepper; 2 medium eggs; 2 tbs flour; 1 dried red chili, crumbled; 100g feta cheese, finely diced.

For the tsatsiki: 1 cup  greek yoghurt; 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tbs fresh mint, minced; salt, to taste.

Method:

1. Using the grater disc on the food processor, grate the courgettes, add salt, and leave in a colander for 15 minutes to leach out their liquid.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the onion, garlic, chili and fresh herbs.

3. After 15 minutes, wrap the grated courgette in a cloth and twist to squeeze out all of the liquid. Add the courgette to the bowl, and mix to combine with the other ingredients.

3. Mix in the eggs, feta and flour. Make sure everything is properly amalgamated, and season to taste.

4. Heat a large flat pan, and add to it about 2 mm of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mixture to the pan in a number of spoonfuls - for this, I also use a 2 " diameter metal ring, to get some kind of conformity to the shape of the fritters; the mixture should spread only slightly as it cooks. Cook over medium-high heat, and use a palette knife to turn them once they are cooked on one side (after about three minutes) briefly cook on the second side and then remove from the pan to a dish to keep warm in a low oven while the remainder of the fritters are being made. I find this amount of mixture cooks in two batches, but it depends on the size of the pan you're using).

5. For the tsatsiki, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl, and put to one side until ready to serve.

6. Divide the warm fritters between two serving bowls, and add a dollop of tsatski to each serving.