British Herb Fritters

Herbs in my CSA box often stump me.  They're so versatile, that it's hard to decide what to make.  In the case of lovage, which I had never heard of, I turned to google and found a fritters recipe from David Hall. 

I'm not sure why he calls these British fritters, unless it's just the fact that he lives in England.  However, that doesn't seem right as I don't preface my recipes with "American."

I'm not 100% certain this recipe is a keeper yet.  Don't get me wrong, these fritters taste great, but if I'm going to increase my caloric intake by frying something in oil, I'd prefer it taste more like a donut to make the calories worth it :)

Next time, I'd like to try baking them like my zucchini cakes recipe.  It's such a wet batter that I'm not sure it'll work, however the black bean meatballs I make are also very wet, and those bake very well.




This recipe is pretty easy to make, assuming you don't fear hot oil like I do :)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 oz sparkling water
a bunch of seasonal herbs, finely chopped
a bunch of spring onions, finely chopped

In a large bowl, whick together flour, salt and pepper.  Make a well in the middle, and add the water.  Thoroughly whisk until you have a smooth batter.  Stir in the herbs and spring onions.

Cover the bottom of a non-stick pan with canola oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Add a couple tablespoons of batter and fry until crisp, about 2 minutes on each side.  Place onto paper towel to absorb some oil.  Serve hot with accompaniment of choice (such as tzatziki, mayonnaise or an aioli).