The recipe
Roughly grate 200g potatoes into a large bowl without peeling them. Grate 200g courgettes, mix with the potatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Tear 150g of burrata into small pieces. Slice 125g cherry tomatoes in half and add to the burrata. Chop 20 or so parsley leaves then add to the tomatoes together with a grinding of black pepper.
Squeeze the potato and courgette firmly in your fist to remove the liquid then return it to the empty bowl and season with black pepper and a tsp of thyme leaves. Break an egg into a small bowl, beat lightly with a fork, then mix with the grated vegetables.
Warm a thin layer of oil in a shallow pan. Divide the grated vegetables into 4 then shape each into a round, roughly 9cm in diameter and fry over a moderate heat till golden on the underside. Using a fish slice, flip each one over and brown the other side.
As each one is ready, place a mixture of the tomatoes and cheese on top then place an upturned, heatproof bowl over the pan and leave for a few minutes until the cheese has softened. Serve 2 per person.
The trick
The potatoes and courgettes need to be squeezed hard to remove as much of the moisture as possible. If you don’t, the mixture will be too wet and the little cakes will collapse in the pan. When you season them, avoid adding extra salt. Fry the cakes, without moving them, until the base has set and turned golden brown. Only then can you attempt to turn them.
The twist
Season the grated vegetables with chopped basil or tarragon leaves. Add garlic (always good with courgettes) and include some chopped thyme or oregano if you wish. In place of the burrata you could use soft tofu or crumbled feta.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater
