Goat's Cheese Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Preparation time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes refrigeration
Total cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes 30

Difficulty: Medium

Roasted red pepper sauce:

2 red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
80ml (2¾ fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock

420g (14oz) ricotta, well drained
400g (13oz) goat's cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chillies
¼ cup (30g/1oz) flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (100g/3½oz) dry breadcrumbs
Oil, for deep-frying

1. Cut the red peppers into 2-3 pieces, removing the seeds and membrane. Place, skin-side-up, under a hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool in a plastic bag, then peel away the skin and roughly chop the flesh.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the red pepper and stock. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, cool slightly and place in a food processor. Pulse until combined, but still a little lumpy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and chill until needed.

3. Combine the ricotta, goat's cheese and chives in a bowl. Add the flour and egg, then season and mix well.

4. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll a level teaspoon of the cheese mixture into a ball with damp hands, then flatten slightly and coat in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Fill a deep heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer one-third full of oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds. Cook the fritters in batches for 1 minute, or until browned, then remove from the pan and drain well on crumpled paper towels. Serve warm with the roasted red pepper sauce.

Nutrition per fritter:
Protein 5g; Fat 8g; Carbohydrate 4g; Dietary Fibre 0.5g; Cholesterol 26mg; 420kJ (100kcal)

Note:
The uncooked fritters can be frozen for up to 2 months or refrigerated for 2 days. The roasted red pepper sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until needed.

Spicy Corn Puffs

Preparation time: 25 minutes + 10 minutes standing
Total cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes 36

Difficulty: Medium

2 corn cobs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
6 spring onions, finely chopped
1 small fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 large egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup (125g/4oz) plain flour
Oil, for deep frying
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

1. Cut down the side of the corn cobs with a very sharp knife to release the kernels, then place them in a large bowl. Holding the cobs over the bowl, scrape down the sides of the cobs with a knife to release all of the corn juice from the cob.

2. Add the fresh coriander, spring onion, chilli, egg, cumin, ground coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste to the bowl, and stir well. Add the flour and mix well. The texture of the batter will vary depending on how much juice is released from the corn. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon water, but no more than that as the batter should be quite thick and dry. Stand for 10 minutes.

3. Fill a large heavy-based saucepan or deep-fryer one-third full of oil and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Drop slightly heaped teaspoons of the corn batter into the oil and cook for about 90 seconds, or until puffed and golden. Drain on crumpled paper towels and serve immediately with a bowl of the sweet chilli sauce to dip the puffs into.

Nutrition per corn puff

Protein 1g; Fat 3.5g; Carbohydrate 4.5g; Dietary Fibre 0.5g; Cholesterol 5.5mg; 225kJ (55kcal)

Note:
The batter should be prepared just before serving, or the corn puffs may fall apart when cooked.