Heaven in a courgette ball

 On my twenty seventh birthday I made very good friends with a new, most amazing food. Had it of not been for the owner of the taverna who insisted I must eat them, as it was my birthday after all, then I may never have discovered this gastronomic delight. I shudder at the thought. I should have known when I sat down to eat at a restaurant boasting this – the Gastronomic Anchor of the Gods – that I was onto a winner.

The delight I discovered was the courgette ball. Granted the name is unlikely to leave you quaking with anticipation but really, these were amazing. They are basically fritters of grated courgette mixed with herbs, some egg and often some feta cheese. These are then formed into balls, dusted with flour and fried. They are a soft, slightly spicy mouth sensation and I am officially addicted. The only problem with this is that I live in England and the courgette balls living in Agios Nikolos in the Peleponnese. Fail.

Last time I was in Greece I was launched into a one woman mission to make the perfect fluffy Moussaka topping (two eggs whipped into a creamy bechamel sauce should you be interested!) and I fear my latest trip is going to set me off on a similar obsession. What I did learn from my courgette ball sampling is that variety is the order of the day, that and lots of garlic. Some people added mint, some added what seemed like grated butternut squash, others a sprinkling of feta. As you may have gathered I did A LOT of courgette ball tasting! Now I am back home I am going to try out a basic recipe and then get creative until I have the perfect courgette balls at which point I will, of course, share my findings – you're gonna love me! ;)