Paula McIntyre - Cáis Na Tíre Fritters with Beetroot Ketchup

You need these in your life :) Salty cheese in crispy crumbs, earthy beetroot and tangy onion.

Fritters

300g finely grated Cais Na Tire cheese

10g soft butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

100g plain flour

2 eggs lightly beaten

150g panko crumbs

Oil for frying

Mix the cheese, butter and parsley really well. Form into 12 even-sized balls ( best to weigh them) and place in the fridge for an hour.

Have the eggs, flour and crumbs in separate bowls. Dip each ball into the flour, shake off the excess, dip into the egg and then the crumb, dip back into the egg and finally the crumb.

To cook

Add oil to pan to thumb depth and heat until an added crumb starts to fizzle. Add the fritters – don’t overcrowd the pan and cook until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.

Beetroot ketchup

1 large beetroot

1 red onion

2 tablespoons oil

75g brown sugar

50ml red wine vinegar

2 cloves

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Scrub the beetroot and place in a piece of foil. Drizzle over a little oil, season with salt and add a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Gather into a parcel and place in a 200oc oven for about an hour or until soft. Peel and dice into 1 cm pieces.

Cut the onion in half and reserve a quarter for pickled onion.

Chop the remaining onion finely and cook in the oil until soft. Add the cloves, coriander and paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beetroot, sugar and vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cloves and blend to a smooth puree. Pass through a fine sieve and place in a squeezy bottle.

Pickled red onions

Quarter red onion reserved, sliced as thinly as you can

25ml cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

25ml water

Pinch salt

Simmer the vinegar, sugar, salt and water until sugar has dissolved.

Pour over the onions and leave for an hour. Drain off pickling liquor and pat dry. Cut each onion slice in half.

Pipe a little ketchup onto the cooked fritter and top with a couple of pieces of onion.