Ukrainian cauliflower fritters

Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and keep any smaller leaves. Blanch the florets and leaves in a pan of boiling salted water. Take the leaves out after 2 minutes and the florets after 5 minutes. Refresh both in cold water, then drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat – it should cover the base of the pan (if not add a little more).

If you are using buckwheat flour, make the batter just before you are ready to fry as it becomes gloopier by the minute. In a bowl, whisk the egg with the milk, then add the flour and whisk until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper.

Drop four pieces of cauliflower into the batter bowl at a time, making sure they are all thickly coated. When the oil is really hot, put the batter-coated pieces of cauliflower into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to fry between four and eight fritters at a time. When they are golden all over, drain on kitchen paper. You might need to wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and add more oil between batches.

For the dill and garlic mayonnaise, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and serve alongside the fritters for dipping.