Wild Rice and Speck Fritters

It’s no secret that I love a savory fritter (as evidenced by this, this, this, this and this recipe). They can be knocked up quickly, cooked in batches in a pan and be in your mouth in next to no time. Also, they lend themselves to a myriad of flavours and ingredients. You can make potato, grain, quinoa and flour based fritters (to name a few) and include all manner of protein, vegetable and cheese options – which means, that if you are cooking for people with allergies/dislikes, you can almost always make a version that will be loved by all.

I tend to make them when I’ve come home late from work and don’t want to get take away, but cannot be bothered thinking about what to make. In our house they are often made out of necessity with what is left over in the fridge. Often the best fritter recipes come from what’s just lying around.

Potato, grain, and flour based fritters are all handled quite differently through the forming and cooking process for best results. Flour fritters are made into a batter before cooking and are dropped into the fry pan in tablespoonful lots, whereas potato based fritters are usually formed into a mixture that can be rolled into balls and flattened, and grain based fritters need egg rings to keep the mixture together while cooking/flipping so they don’t break apart. If you keep to these methods, you will usually have frittery success.

For this recipe, we use the grain based method using egg rings. Wild rice was used as the base as it gives a wonderful nutty flavour to the fritters. I have simply added speck, spring onions, herbs, chilli, and binding ingredients and the resulting crispy rice cake fritters crackle in your mouth giving a satisfying toothsome feel with punchy flavours.