These are fantastic to make ahead – eat them at room temperature stuffed into a pita with salad for a quick lunch or reheat and have as a starter at a dinner party.

Sumac – from a Middle Eastern berry – adds a citrusy brightness and is available in the spice sections of all big supermarkets, as well as from Mediterranean or Middle Eastern grocery shops.

Method:

• For the fritters, you can mix the ingredients by hand if you chop everything as finely as you can, but a food processor makes it much easier.
• First, put the onion, chilli, garlic and egg in the bowl of the food processor and pulse to a coarse purée. Add the fish, salt, a few turns of black pepper, the sumac and matzah meal or breadcrumbs and pulse again four or five times until you have a textured mix – you don’t want it too smooth, just make sure that everything is blended and the fish is broken down.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or so until it has firmed up.
• Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together by hand or using a stick blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning and transfer to a small bowl.
• Using damp hands, shape the chilled fish mixture into around 12 walnut-sized balls and flatten them slightly into patties.
• Coat each one with the extra matzah meal or breadcrumbs and set aside while you heat the oil.
• Pour the oil into a frying pan so that it is about 1cm deep and place over a medium-high heat until it is shimmering but not smoking. Fry the fritters in batches for about 3 minuteson each side, or until a deep golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with more sumac.
• Serve the fritters with the dipping sauce on the side or drizzled over the top.

Extracted from Cherish (Headline)

First published in The JC December 06 2018