Delicious little mushroom fritters, or Polpettes di funghi! Bite sized deliciousness dipped into fresh tomato sauce. Great on their own or added to the table as an antipasto.

I spent a day cooking Sicilian food at the wonderful Cucina Caldesi with Valentina Harris. Inspired by all the wonderful flavours, this was one of the first dishes I recreated when I got back home. Serves 2.

• 250g fresh mushrooms
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 heaped tablespoon of finely grated Pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons of fresh white breadcrumbs for the mix plus extra to coat the fritters
• salt and pepper
• sunflower oil for frying

For the tomato sauce –

• 2 cloves of garlic left in their skins
• 400g passata or tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

To make the sauce add the olive oil to a small pan and gently fry the garlic in it’s skin for a minute or two (do not allow it to brown). Add the tomatoes and parsley and gently simmer while you prepare your fritters.

Clean the mushrooms with a damp piece of kitchen roll or a soft brush to remove any grit and gently steam until they are soft. (Note to my sons – You could steam them in a colander over a pan of gently boiling water with the lid over until they have softened.) Allow them to cool. Squeeze gently to drain and then chop them very finely or put them into a blender and blitz them quickly.

Chop the parsley and garlic very finely.  Mix with the Pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well together. Shape them into small round balls (should make about 10). Roll them in breadcrumbs to coat.

In a small deep pan or wok heat a inch of sunflower oil and fry the little fritters for about 4 minutes, turning them with a slatted spoon to do all sides. They should be slightly brown and crispy when they are done. Remove them with a slatted spoon on to some kitchen paper to drain.

Remove the garlic from the tomato sauce and check the seasoning. Serve the fritters with some of the sauce. Keep the remainder of the sauce to add to a pasta dish or freeze for another day!