Serve this as a starter or hot nibble before the dinner, if you like.
Ingredients
- 500g butternut squash, deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 225g feta, roughly broken up
- Bunch of spring onions, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 medium eggs
- Handful chopped fresh coriander
- 50g plain flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- for the chipotle chilli dip
- 1 dried chipotle chilli (see tip)
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 2 roasted red peppers in oil
- from a jar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
Method
- 1. Put the chipotle chilli in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside to cool.
- 2. Make the fritters. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Put the squash pieces in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil, season and toss together. Roast for 25 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
- 3. Meanwhile, put the feta, onions, garlic, lemon juice, nutmeg, eggs and coriander in a food processor and whizz to a purée. Add the squash, flour and some seasoning and pulse to a chunky mixture. Put in a bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- 4. Meanwhile, make the chilli dip. Mark a cross with a knife in the bottom of each tomato, then plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of cold water and, when cool, slip off the skins. Quarter, remove the seeds and add to the cleaned food processor bowl, with the roasted peppers (reserve the oil in the jar), softened chilli (discard the soaking water) and sugar. Whizz until smooth. Add the lime juice and 2 tablespoons of the oil from the jar of peppers, season and whizz again.
- 5. Heat about 1cm vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Take 2 dessertspoons, scoop some fritter mixture onto 1 and use the other to shape it into a rugby-ball shape (called a quenelle). Add to the hot oil and repeat, to fry 6 at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning halfway, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest. It should make about 30 fritters. Serve with the chipotle chilli dip.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 311kcals, 19.6g fat (7g saturated), 11.1g protein, 24.7g carbs, 14.3g sugar, 1.5g salt
Chef's tip
Chipotle chillies pack a wonderfully smoky punch. You can buy them from Caribbean food shops or by mail order from coolchile.co.uk or seasonedpioneers.co.uk.
Wine Recommendation
Try a sprightly, aromatic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc served very cold, with the fritters.