Basic Light Coating Batter

Sieve 4oz (120g) flour with a pinch of salt. Drop in an egg yolk, and add 1oz (30g) melted butter and 1/4pint (1_ dl) water, beating hard to create a smooth batter. Allow to get completely cold. You can use a food processor for this, but not for the next stage. Whisk 2 egg whites until beginning to stand up, and fold carefully into the batter. Some ancient recipes leave out the egg yolk altogether. Makes very puffy light fritters. Consider using to coat slices of sweet pepper, coarsely grated carrot, batons of aubergine, spring onions etc.

Caramelised Vegetables

Scrub, top and tail carrots, and either leave whole if they are small, or cut into rounds. Cover with cold water in a pan, with a lump or tsp of sugar and some butter or grapeseed oil. Bring to the boil and cook uncovered until the water has boiled away and the carrots are just beginning to catch. Watch it carefully. According to Lady Kennet, this works brilliantly with fennel as well. "It caught rather seriously," she says. "The fennel 'strings' were left on the bottom of the pan, crisp and caramelised and absolutely delicious. I can't work out what they might be for - a cook's perk, I think," she adds.