Honey & Co, a tiny place in Fitzrovia, has become one of the most talked about restaurants in London. Its husband and wife team Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer boast a wealth of experience between them: most recently Itamar was head chef at Ottolenghi, while Sarit was head pastry chef at Ottolenghi and executive chef at Nopi. So you get an idea of the kind of knowledge these two bring to the table about ingredients, flavours and beautiful food. But it is the love and attention to detail that goes into each of their dishes that has really caught the attention of food critics. They met in a restaurant kitchen in Israel, and their Middle Eastern food is packed full of childhood memories as well as shared experiences. Filled with soul and home-made love, it's perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Their first book, Honey & Co: Food from the Middle East, is a stunning collection of their recipes, all capturing the restaurant's warmth and beauty. The food is bright, full of fresh vegetables and fruit flavours, bunches of fragrant herbs and smoky meats. There are mezze dishes, salads and tear-and-share breads, light dishes such mint and lemon chicken and prawns in orange, tomato and cardamom, and hearty food such as ox cheek and slow-cooked octopus. The recipes make you want to round up a group of loved ones and host a big outdoor feast to enjoy on a balmy evening. We made the carrot and butternut fritters, which were really simple to make and were scoffed almost instantly – the perfect weekend snack.
Carrot and Butternut Fritters
INGREDIENTS
1 large carrot, peeled, about 150g (5oz)
1 medium potato, peeled, about 150g (5oz)
¼ butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, about 150g (5oz)
½ onion, peeled, about 60g (2½ oz)
1tsp salt
2 eggs
6 sprigs of tarragon, picked and roughly chopped
¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
½tsp ground cardamom pods
3tbsp wholemeal flour
½tsp baking powder
Vegetable oil for frying
For the chive sour cream:
170ml tub of sour cream
½ bunch of chives, chopped finely
1tsp lemon juice
1tbsp mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper
Hands-on time 20min, plus 30min draining. Cooking time about 10min.
Makes about 25 small fritters.
Method
Grate all the vegetables on a coarse grater (or use a food processor) and place in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with ½tsp salt and mix lightly. Allow to sit for at least 30min at room temperature to draw out the excess water.
Place the eggs, tarragon, remaining ½tsp salt, pepper, ground cardamom, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Squeeze out whatever liquid you can from the vegetables, add them to the bowl and mix vigorously to combine.
Heat about 2cm of oil in a frying pan, and line a plate with some absorbent kitchen paper. Scoop little spoonfuls of the batter into the oil and fry for about a minute until they start to crisp up. Flip the fritters carefully and fry on the other side for another minute or so till crisp. Remove to the lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat until you have used up all the batter.
Mix all the chive sour cream ingredients together (I wouldn’t add any salt, as chives have a natural saltiness) and serve with the fritters.
Honey & Co: Food from the Middle East by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich (Saltyard Books, £25). Photography: Patricia Niven.
We think this easy Tzatziki recipe would make a great dip for these fritters
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