Method

• Place a large pot of salted water on to boil, once boiling season liberally with salt
• Place a deep skillet with oil on a moderate heat and checking regularly bring to 180C (if you don’t have a cooking thermometer this is around the point at which a cube of white bread bubbles on entry and goes golden in 30secs
• Wash cauliflower and break down into small florets
• With the water boiling add the cauliflower, rapidly return pot to the boil and blanch for no more that 4min
• You’re looking to lose the raw taste and crunch without compromising the finished texture
• Peel and cut onion into a fine dice
• Combine flour, polenta, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl
• In a cup whisk your eggs with a fork
• Sauté your onion, garlic, and cumin seeds (and nigella seeds if using) until onion is glossy and translucent, stir in coriander stems and set aside
• Drain cauliflower well
• With a large knife run over half the florets so they are the size of currents, leaving the other half the size of small marbles
• Once cool add the cauliflower to the dry ingredients and toss (this helps stop any coarse ingredients from sinking in a batter)
• Add the eggs and onion mix, and, using a large spoon and a light hand, mix batter until just combined
• Don’t be tempted to mix in every last bit of flour or you’ll end up with tough fritters
• Using a pair of oiled dessert spoons carefully drop rounded dollops of batter into the pot
• If you work clockwise you can take them out in the same order resulting in uniformly cooked fritters
• Don’t mind slightly shaggy fritters - provided your oil isn’t too hot this will make for wonderful texture
• Using a small sieve or long handled slotted spoon remove any shrapnel from the pot between batches
• This keeps your oil clean and avoids acrid notes developing
• If necessary keep the fritters warm in a low oven, with the door ajar (so they don’t sweat) but they really are so much better dished up immediately, batch by batch
• Tickle with a grind of salt and pepper, and a handful of chopped coriander leaves
• Serve with Port Larder’s Ceylon Sauce Safety
• When deep frying always keep the matching pot lid, or a large flat oven tray at hand
• Placing this, angled up and away from you, over the pot, is by far the easiest and safest way to deal with your oil should it ignite
• Never ever use water or attempt to move the pot from the stovetop
• Ideally use a cooking thermometer and maintain your oil at 180c by controlling your heat source