Cheese and cauliflower fritters with yogurt dip

Method

1. Bring a big pan of well-salted water (1 tsp per 600ml) to the boil. Meanwhile, cut the florets from the main stem of the cauliflower, breaking them up if large. Add to the boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes until a little softer than normal. A fork should go through the thicker stems quite easily, but you still want a little bit of texture left in the caulifower. Drain and leave to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, for the herbed yogurt sauce, mix the ingredients together with a little salt to taste and chill in the fridge until needed.
3. Sift the flour, salt and pepper into a mixing bowl, then stir in the cheese, fennel seeds and parsley. Make a well in the centre, add the beaten eggs and garlic to the well, then gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the eggs to make a thick batter. Add the warm cauliflower and stir together until the cauliflower breaks up a little but still remains in pieces.
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4. Pour olive oil into a large, deep frying pan to a depth of 1cm and heat to about 160°C (a small cube of bread will sizzle and brown in the oil in about 1 minute). Carefully drop 4 large serving spoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, into the hot oil, then fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Lift them onto plenty of kitchen paper, briefly, to absorb any excess oil, then keep warm. Repeat twice more with the remaining mixture. Serve hot with the herbed yogurt sauce.