Leek, thyme and cheese fritters

Makes around 24, depending on size

You will need:

• 50g butter • 400g leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced (see my Top Tip, below left) • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 200g flour • 2 eggs • 225ml milk • 200g cheese, grated (mature Coolea, Kylemore farmhouse cheese, Emmental or gouda) • A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg • 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 Melt 25g of the butter in a large pan, then add the thinly sliced leeks and the chopped fresh thyme. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover the pan and sweat the vegetables on a gentle heat until they are soft but not coloured — about 8 minutes. Allow them to cool. 2 Sift the flour into a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and break them up with a whisk. Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time until the batter is smooth and bubbles appear on the surface. 3 Add the cooked cooled leeks and onion mixture, the grated cheese and the freshly grated nutmeg to the batter. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 4 Put a frying pan, preferably non-stick, on a medium heat. When the pan is warm, add in some of the remaining butter and a small drizzle of the extra-virgin olive oil. Drop large tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the pan, spacing them slightly apart. Allow the fritters to cook until they are golden underneath, then flip them over onto the other side and cook them for 1-2 minutes more, until the fritters feel set in the centre, and are golden brown. 5 Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding more butter and extra-virgin olive oil with each batch. 6 Serve the fritters as they’re ready, straight off the pan.