Description
Crispy sesame, halloumi, and courgette fritters served with a sweet and spicy chilli honey drizzle. These golden, pan-fried fritters combine the nutty flavor of toasted sesame seeds with the salty tang of halloumi cheese and fresh courgette, perfectly balanced by a zesty lemon-infused chilli honey syrup.
Ingredients
Scale
Fritters
- 2 medium courgettes, grated
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus extra to serve
- 30g self-raising flour
- 20g rice or cornflour
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tsp mint leaves, finely chopped
- 80g halloumi, grated
- 2 large eggs
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- vegetable oil, for frying
Chilli Honey Drizzle
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp pul biber (chilli flakes) or other chilli flakes
- 2 lemons, zested
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare the chilli honey drizzle: In a small pan, combine the honey, 2 tablespoons of water, chilli flakes, and lemon zest. Warm gently over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and becomes syrupy, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Drain the courgettes: Place the grated courgettes in a sieve and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Allow them to drain for 30 minutes. Then, use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as possible—this step is crucial to achieving crispy fritters.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour, rice or cornflour, toasted sesame seeds, and ground white pepper. Mix well to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Add aromatics and cheese: Stir in the finely chopped mint leaves, grated halloumi, and the drained courgettes. Toss lightly to combine all ingredients.
- Incorporate eggs and spring onions: Crack in the eggs and use a fork to stir them into the mixture along with the sliced spring onions. Mix until you achieve a thick batter consistency.
- Heat the oil and fry the fritters: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Swirl the oil to coat the base evenly. Using a spoon, add heaped 2-tablespoon portions of batter to the pan and flatten each fritter gently with a spatula.
- Cook the fritters: Fry each fritter for about 2 minutes until golden on one side. Flip carefully and press down with the spatula, frying for another few minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Drain and season: Remove the fritters from the pan and drain on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Season lightly with a few flakes of sea salt while still hot.
- Serve: Drizzle the warm fritters with the prepared chilli honey drizzle and serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Grating and thoroughly draining the courgettes is key to avoiding soggy fritters.
- If pul biber is unavailable, substitute with crushed red pepper flakes.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure the halloumi used is suitable and avoid additional anchovy-based sauces.
- The fritters can be kept warm in a low oven if cooking in batches.
- Adjust the chilli flakes in the drizzle to taste for desired heat level.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: sesame fritters, halloumi fritters, courgette fritters, chilli honey drizzle, Mediterranean snack
