Ingredients
SAUCE
25g dried porcini mushrooms
optional: 4 anchovy fillets, from sustainable sources
1 dried red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
700g passata
8 black olives (stone in)
½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
FRITTERS
1 large free-range egg
400g ricotta cheese
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
1 lemon
40g Parmesan cheese
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
SALAD
400g firm green or yellow baby courgettes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 fresh red chilli
½ a bunch of fresh mint (15g)
1 lemon
Method
- Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, medium heat • Large casserole pan, low heat • Food processor (fine grater)
- START COOKING
- Put the porcini into a mug and cover with boiling water.
- Crack the egg into a mixing bowl, add the ricotta, finely grate in ¼ of the nutmeg, the lemon zest and Parmesan, add the flour, then beat together.
- Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the frying pan, then use a tablespoon to spoon in 8 large dollops of the mixture, turning carefully when nice and golden.
- Put the anchovies (if using) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the casserole pan, crumble in the dried chilli, and squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher.
- Finely chop and add the porcini with half their soaking water and the passata, season with sea salt and black pepper and bring to the boil.
- Squash and add the olives, discarding the stones. Pick and reserve a few basil leaves, then chop the rest and add to the sauce.
- Grate the courgettes in the processor (you could use a box grater here) and tip into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, the juice of the zested lemon and the extra virgin olive oil.
- Finely chop and add the chilli and the top leafy half of the mint, then toss together.
- Place the fritters on top of the sauce, then scatter over the reserved basil leaves, drizzle with balsamic and serve with lemon wedges.
Tags