Herb fritters with smoked salmon

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.

From The Free Range Cook by Annabel Langbein

Create an Annabel Langbein dinner party

Starter: herb fritters with smoked salmon

Main: roast pork with fennel, onions and apples

Dessert: honey lemon cream pudding

Try one of our other salmon recipes, or try Diana Henry's recipe for drop scones with smoked salmon and horseradish cream