Bread-free courgette and carrot fritters

Bread-free courgette and carrot fritters made with egg, courgette, carrot and hard cheese: savoury, juicy and baked until golden brown, with clarified butter for a fine flavour.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 12 min
• Total time: 27 min
• Calories: 210 kcal per serving
• Protein: 12 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Carbs: 9 g

Ingredients

• 2 organic eggs
• 1 medium courgette
• 1 large carrot
• 2 tbsp grated vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 tbsp clarified butter (for frying)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of black pepper

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking dish · baking tray · grater

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and get a baking tray or ovenproof dish ready.
2. Finely grate the courgette and carrot. Squeeze the courgette out well so the mixture doesn't get too wet.
3. Whisk the eggs with the hard cheese, salt and black pepper. Fold in the courgette and carrot until evenly combined.
4. Spoon the mixture onto the tray as small fritters or spread it in the dish. Brush with a little clarified butter or dot it lightly over the top.
5. Bake at 200 °C for 12–15 min, until the fritters are golden brown and just set.
6. Leave to cool briefly and serve warm.

Good to know

When I need something quick, I especially like fritters like these. They're juicy and savoury, and need no bread or flour at all. They taste best warm from the oven.

Swaps

Hard cheese → sheep's cheese (tangier) Clarified butter → extra virgin olive oil (more monounsaturated fats) Carrot → parsnip (milder, slightly sweet) Courgette → broccoli, finely chopped (more bite, more fibre)

Allergens

Contains egg, and milk from the hard cheese and clarified butter. Suits many children as long as the texture works for them, and during pregnancy it's generally fine if you use fresh eggs and pasteurised dairy.

Frequently asked questions

What's in courgette, nutritionally?

Courgette is mostly water and contains fairly modest amounts of potassium, vitamin C and fibre. That makes it light and mild in flavour.

Is the carrot here more than just colour?

Carrots provide beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. They also bring fibre and small amounts of potassium.

Which nutrients do the eggs bring to the fritters?

Eggs contain protein plus choline, vitamin B12, selenium and some vitamin D. The yolk also provides fat.

Is the hard cheese just there for flavour?

No, hard cheese also provides calcium, protein and vitamin B12. Because it's aged, it usually contains very little lactose.

How is clarified butter different from butter?

Clarified butter contains hardly any water and only tiny amounts of milk solids – that's the main difference from butter. It still comes from milk, so take care if you have a milk protein allergy.