Beetroot, mint and feta fritters with a watercress, chilli and charred lemon pesto

Delicious served hot or cold.

As the summer months are fast approaching it’s only natural to start getting excited about the abundance of fresh fruit and veg that will soon grace our local markets.  As much as I love the embracing comfort of slow-cooked winter foods, that harness the deep, complex flavours of root veg and seasonal meat, there’s nothing quite as smugly satisfying as a simple salad, using the freshest of ingredients that have been basking in the summer rays.  I could spend hours reeling off the many merits of a juicy, sun-drenched plumb tomato, paired with cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of Anglesey sea salt and a handful of vibrant basil leaves, but I’ll save that for another day…

These fritters are the perfect meal to transition you through the seasons - goodbye winter, hello spring!  The beetroot, with its characteristically earthy flavours is happily offset by the neutral, spongy texture of the courgette and its flavours are enhanced by the salty feta, hitting the back of your palate.  The addition of a few sprigs of mint lifts the whole dish, adding a welcome freshness, along with the watercress pesto.  To keep the fat content down I’ve baked, rather than fried the fritters, making them a little lighter.

These fritters can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months until you’re ready to enjoy them. 

 Serves 4, 40mins prep, 30mins cooking
Skill Level: Easy

• 3 raw beetroots, roots removed and peeled
• 2 courgettes, washed
• 1tbsp sea salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 2tsp sumac
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 3 sprigs mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
• ½ lemon
• 70g watercress
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2tbsp almonds, toasted in the oven for 8mins until golden

1. Grate the beetroot and courgette. Place in a sieve over a bowl and mix with the salt.  Allow the salt to draw out the excess liquid from the vegetables for up to 30mins until you have a pool of liquid in the bowl.  Rinse under a cold tap to remove the salt, then use your hands to squeeze out any remaining juices.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
3. Place the beetroot and courgette in a bowl with the egg, flour, sumac, feta and mint. Mix until well combined then shape into patties using your hands.
4. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment and bake in the oven for 30mins until the patties are set and lightly golden.
5. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a high heat and place the lemon, cut-side down in the pan. Cook for 2-3mins until deep golden in colour.
6. Place the watercress, chilli, oil, almonds and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Serve the fritters with a watercress salad and a drizzle of pesto.

Tip: to make these fritters gluten free substitute the flour for gluten free flour or chickpea flour.