Buckwheat and cheese patties

Ingredients

• 100g buckwheat groats (or a bowl of cooked buckwheat left over from the previous day)
• 50g medium-hard cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• a little plain flour, if needed
• fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of grated nutmeg or ground mace (optional)
• butter and vegetable oil for frying

To serve

• sweet and sour Asian chilli sauce or cranberry jam
• fresh vegetable salad

Method

1. Toast the buckwheat in a dry pan, then add water (ratio 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts water) and a pinch of salt. Simmer until tender.
2. Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Gently fry in butter until soft and translucent.
3. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater and chop the parsley.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked buckwheat, egg, grated cheese, sautéed onion and garlic, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg or ground mace if using. These are optional but add flavour.
5. Mix the mixture thoroughly and leave for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. If the mixture seems too loose to hold together, add a little plain flour.
6. With damp hands, shape the mixture into patties. Heat butter and oil in a frying pan and fry the patties until golden brown on both sides.
7. Serve hot or cold with sweet and sour Asian chilli sauce or cranberry jam. Fresh vegetable salad makes a great side.