Broad bean, herb & ricotta fritters

Pop the broad beans out of their pods into a bowl. Boil the kettle, tip the beans into a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for 6 mins, then drain and leave until cool enough to handle. If using frozen beans, simply place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 2 mins, then drain.

Use your nail or a knife to pierce the opaque skins surrounding each bean, and pop them back into the bowl. (You can use the skins to make vegetable stock.)

Lightly mash the beans with a fork – they should still have lots of texture and you can leave some beans whole. Add 100g of the ricotta, 2 eggs, the flour, baking powder, chilli flakes and herbs. Season with a pinch of salt and stir everything together to make a thick batter. The batter will keep chilled for up to a day.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and gently lower in the 2 remaining eggs. Boil for 6 mins, then drain and plunge into cold water to halt the cooking process.

Mix the lemon zest and a pinch of salt into the remaining ricotta.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon heaped tablespoons of the batter into the pan and spread a little with the back of the spoon into circles. Cook 3-4 at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown. Transfer to plates and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining fritters. (You should have enough to make eight.)

Peel and halve the eggs. Spread half the ricotta onto each plate. Arrange the fritters on top, add the halved eggs and a few whole herb leaves. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a pinch more chilli flakes, if you like.