These light and fluffy fritters are a match made in heaven with the robust peppery pesto. You could also serve these with a poached egg as a light lunch.
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For the watercress pesto
- 75 g watercress, thick stalks removed (if present)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 40 g blanched hazelnuts
- 50 g Parmesan or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
- juice 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
- 75 ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
For the fritters
- 600 g ricotta
- 25 g Parmesan or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped mint leaves
- 1 Tbsp. chopped basil leaves
- 40 g self-raising flour
- 3 large egg whites
- olive oil, to fry
- Step 1For the pesto, reserve 6 pretty sprigs of watercress and put the remaining watercress in a food processor. Whizz until finely chopped. Add the garlic, hazelnuts, Parmesan and some seasoning and whizz again until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the lemon juice followed by the oil, until emulsified. Set aside.
- Step 2For the fritters, in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, herbs, flour and some seasoning. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites with a handheld electric hand until they hold stiff peaks. Using a large metal spoon, stir half the egg whites into the ricotta mixture to loosen, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Step 3Heat a little oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, drop dollops (about 2tbsp each) of the ricotta mixture into the pan, spacing apart. Cook for 3-4min per side until golden (they are delicate, so turn carefully). Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat cooking process, adding more oil as needed, until batter is used up (you should have 12 fritters).
- Step 4Serve the ricotta fritters on a spoonful of the pesto. Garnish with the reserved watercress sprigs and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
GET AHEAD: The fritters are best eaten freshly made, but can be made a day in advance. Once cool, layer the cooked fritters between baking parchment, wrap well in clingfilm and chill. To serve, arrange on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cover with foil and reheat in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 10-15min until hot. Make pesto up to a day ahead. Cover and chill (it will lose some of its bright green colour). Allow to come up to room temperature before serving.
Per serving (2 fritters):
- Calories: 407
- Protein: 18g
- Fat: 34g
- Saturates: 12g
- Carbs: 8g
- Total sugars: 2g
- Fibre: 1g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
