Courgette Fritters (v) Recipe

Prepare the courgettes

Trim ends of the courgettes and grate coarsely using a box grater. Place grated courgette in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp fine sea salt. Toss and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture.

After 10 minutes, transfer the grated courgette to a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel. Squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible — aim to remove at least 1/3–1/2 of the moisture. Measure drained courgette; you should have about 3 cups by packed volume.

In a medium bowl combine 3 tbs flour, 1 large egg, 2 tbs yogurt, 2 tbs grated Parmesan (if using), 1 tbs chopped chives, 1 tbs chopped parsley and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Mix to form a slightly thick batter. Fold in the drained courgette until evenly coated. If mixture seems too wet, add up to 1 more tablespoon flour.

Heat a large non-stick or stainless steel frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tbs neutral oil. Once hot, spoon heaped tablespoons of the courgette mixture into the pan, flattening lightly to form 2½–3 inch fritters. Leave at least 1 inch between fritters. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Cook fritters for 3–4 minutes on the first side until golden brown and set, then flip and cook 2–3 minutes more until golden and cooked through. Add more oil (about 1 tbs) between batches as needed. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel–lined plate and keep warm in a low oven (90–100°C / 200°F) while finishing remaining fritters.

When fritters are nearly done, wipe the pan and return to medium heat. Add 1 tbs butter or oil and let it foam. Crack 2 eggs into the pan. For sunny-side up: cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until whites are set but yolks still runny; cover with a lid for 30–45 seconds to finish whites if needed. For over-easy: cook 2 minutes, flip gently and cook 30–45 seconds more.

Season eggs with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Remove from pan and keep warm on top of fritters or in oven briefly until serving.

In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbs Greek yogurt, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp anchovy paste, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp grated Parmesan and 1/2 clove grated garlic until smooth.

Slowly whisk in 1 tbs olive oil to emulsify. Taste and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, adjusting lemon or anchovy to preference. If too thick, thin with 1–2 tsp water.

Stack 3–4 warm courgette fritters per serving on plates (or two larger fritters). Spoon 1–2 tbs Cesare dressing over the fritters and top each stack with a fried egg.

Garnish with extra chopped parsley or microgreens and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over. Serve immediately while fritters are crisp and eggs are warm.