It’s getting cold outside which causes me to live like a hermit, wax way less often than one should and the inevitable struggle to get the kids out of bed. The good news is, it also means wonderful, wonderful cauliflower does this make up for hairy legs??!!).

This dish is delightfully simple and has ‘comfort’ written all over it for me. Make bite size versions for a wonderful starter / great party food or make larger ones and serve for dinner with a big green salad and a glass of wine. Is this not the perfect Sunday night?

Cauliflower fritters

Makes approx 18 small fritters

½ cauliflower
300g (2 cups) self raising flower
125g (1 ¼ cups) grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons of Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
Sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Olive oil

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Break or cut the cauliflower in to quite small pieces. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes, until soft (you should be able to pierce the cauliflower stem with a knife with ease if cooked through). Drain & cool.

Combine the flour, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, chives, salt and pepper and then mix with the cauliflower. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix again. Add a little of the milk, if needed, to bring the mixture together.

Add enough olive oil to cover the base of a frying pan and heat over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add tablespoons of the mixture and cook on the first side until golden. Turn each fritter over and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook on the second side until golden and cooked through.

Serve these warm but not hot to enjoy their maximum flavour or at room temperature.

Makes approx 18 small fritters.

I always serve these fritters with my ‘beetroot & aceto balsamic relish’. They are so perfect together! Alternatively, you could make your own spicy dipping sauce to make these tasty gems even tastier! To do this, grab yourself a blender and whizz up 4 roughly chopped tomatoes with some dried chilli flakes (or fresh chilli), a few drops of balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of roughly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley.