Celeraic Fritters with Pears, Walnuts, Radicchio and Caper Mayonnaise.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Batter:
- 140g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Water
- 1 large egg white
Dressing:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Other:
- 120g celeriac weighed after peeling and cut into fine julienne like long match sticks
- 12 watercress sprigs and 12 radicchio leaves or a mixture of leaves
- 1 x pear, cut in quarters lengthways, cored and sliced thinly
- 16 walnuts halves
- 4 generous teaspoons mayonnaise
- 28 capers
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Make the batter for frying the fritters first. Place the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the olive oil and whisk in enough water to form a smooth batter the consistency of thick cream. Chill for 30 minutes and fold in the stiffly beaten egg white.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and correct seasoning.
- When ready to cook the fritters, heat 10cm of sunflower oil to 180c / 350f in a heavy cast iron or stainless steel saucepan. If you have a deep fat fryer that will work perfectly.
- Mix the celeriac julienne through the batter. You have enough mixture to make 4 fritters. Gently drop large spoonfuls of the mixture in to the hot oil and cook until crisp and golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in an oven. They will remain crisp for 20 minutes or so.
- To serve, place the salad leaves, sliced pear and walnuts in a large bowl and dress with the well mixed dressing. Divide between 4 plates. Place a fritter on top of each salad.
- Drop 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on top of the fritters and scatter on the capers. Add a few grains of sea salt and serve immediately.