Herb fritters with smoked salmon
Prep time: 5 mins + 15 mins standing time
Cook time: 4–5 mins per batch
Makes: 60 small or 30 medium fritters
Ingredients
- 175g plain flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 250ml soda water or water, chilled
- 1 tsp salt ground black pepper
- 8 tbsp finely chopped basil
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2–3 tbsp neutral oil or spray oil
To serve:
- 150g thinly sliced smoked salmon
- 125ml sour cream and sprigs of dill
Method
To make the fritter base batter, combine the flour, baking powder, eggs, soda water or water (the soda water makes the fritters particularly light), salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, beating to make a smooth batter. Cover and stand for 15 minutes or for up to 4 hours in the fridge (this allows the gluten in the flour to rest and ensures the fritters will be tender).
Stir chopped herbs and lemon zest into the rested batter. Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat and coat or spray lightly with the oil. Drop small spoonfuls of mixture into the hot pan and cook until bubbles form in the mixture, then turn to cook the other side. Fritters are cooked when they bounce back when pressed gently. Lightly re-oil pan between batches.
Top each fritter with a small slice of smoked salmon and garnish with a little sour cream and a sprig of dill.
The Free Range Cook
Annabel Langbein is a cook, food writer and publisher who believes in using good quality, seasonal, locally sourced produce. Her book The Free Range Cook is in 1 in 4 New Zealand households. Buy it at a discount now from Saga bookshop.