Apple and parsnip fritters with bacon

The combination of apple, parsnip and bacon may sound odd at first, but expect to surprise your tastebuds with the sourness of the apple cutting through the sweetness of the parsnip, all of which is complemented by the saltines of a crunchy bacon rasher. This recipe, like many posted before, is adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “River Cottage Fruit Everyday”.

Ingredients for 10 to 12 fritters

- 300 g of peeled, topped and tailed parsnips
- 2 medium-large (about 300 g) Cox’s apples or any other large eating apples, peeled
- 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbs plain flour
- Sunflower oil for frying
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
- 8 rashers of streaky smoked bacon

Preparing the fritters

Start by chopping the parsnips into sizeable chunks of about 5 cm long and put them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Salt lightly and bring to the boil. As you will be frying them later you will only need to cook the parsnips for 3 minutes. Then take them off the heat and drain.

Once the parsnips have cooled down enough to handle them, coarsely grate them into a bowl. Do the same with apples and add the egg and flour to the bowl too. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix everything together well.

Get a non stick frying pan ready by heating it over medium heat and covering it with about 2 mm of oil. Make the fritters by taking 1 dessertspoon full of the apple and parsnip mixture and shaping it into a small burger like disk. For best results do this with your hands and place each fritter on a chopping board. Using a large spatula carefully lift every one and put in the sizzling oil. You will be able to fry about 4 or 5 fritters at a time so this will need to be done in batches. Fry for about 5 minutes on one side, carefully flip it over and fry for another 5 minutes.

Whilst frying the fritters, heat up another frying pan to high heat and fry the bacon rashers until crispy, turning them every so often.

Serve the fritters straight out of the pan.

For a delectable mouthful, enjoy every bite with a bit of salty bacon.

Very cherry carbonara

Pasta carbonara is one of our go to dishes after a long day at work. It's fast, easy to prepare and, importantly, based on the key staple ingredients. Who doesn't have some pasta, bacon, eggs and cheese standing around? If you are a keen gardener, there is a good chance that you may have a handsome crop of cherry tomatoes at hand. They add a new dimension to the classic carbonara recipe. When roasted, these little bombs of flavour add a lovely touch of colour to this pronto pasta supper.

Effortless carbonara with sweet pockets of tomato taste

Ingredients for 4 portions

- 400 g of penne pasta (fresh or dry)
- 5 rashers of bacon, cut into small strips
- 2 medium eggs
- Dash of milk
- 100 g of grated parmesan
- 1 tsp of Italian spice mix
- 20-25 sunsugar cherry tomatoes
- Freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the carbonara

Spread the washed tomatoes in an oven proof dish and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius. Roast for 20 minutes or until soft and the skin has cracked.

In the meantime, focus your attention on the bacon. Heat up a frying pan on the highest setting and fry the bacon strips until crisp. Stir gently but often. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Don’t forget to add a generous amount of salt to the water. 

Whilst the bacon is sizzling away and the pasta is slowly getting al dente, mix the eggs, milk, cheese and spices in a large bowl. Leave the bacon to cool down slightly before adding it to the main mixture to prevent cooking the eggs. 

Once roasted, carefully remove the skins off the tomatoes, but mind your fingers as they will be hot to the touch. Leave a few tomatoes with skin on for decoration. 

Now assemble the carbonara by first mixing the pasta with the sauce and then gently stirring in the tomatoes to ensure they remain intact.

Season with the pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy any leftovers for lunch the next day.