Mark Hix recipe: Summer bean salad with Black Cow fritters

Serves 4

Summer bean salad with Black Cow fritters (Jason Lowe)

Deep-frying little nuggets of cheese gives a salad a great texture – they end up playing a similar role to croutons, but are much tastier. You can use as many types of bean as you wish, even yellow wax beans, if you can get your hands on them.

150-200 mixed beans, broad, runner, bobby
1 x 200g Black Cow cheese, cut into rough 2cm cubes
2tbsp flour for dusting, seasoned
1 egg, beaten
3-4tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying
A couple of handfuls of small salad leaves like rocket, land cress, red mustard leaf, bulls blood
A few sticks of fine chives, cut into 3-4cm lengths

For the dressing

1tbsp tarragon vinegar
2tsp Tewkesbury mustard
1 clove of garlic, peeled
2tbsp rapeseed oil
3tbsp vegetable or corn oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, make the dressing. Put all of the ingredients into a clean bottle or jar. Give them a good shake and leave to infuse for an hour or so, or overnight at room temperature.

Now prepare the beans: thinly slice runners on the angle, if you are using them, otherwise cut as you wish.

Cook in boiling salted water for a few minutes until tender and then refresh in cold water.

Preheat about 8cm of oil to 160-180C in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep-fat fryer.

Carefully roll the cheese in the flour, shaking off any excess, then pass through the egg, again shaking off any excess, and finally through the crumbs.

Fry the cheese in a couple of batches for about a minute, or until the crumbs are golden, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper.

To assemble the salad, toss the beans with the salad leaves, cheese and dressing and season. Now scatter on the chives and serve.