Eaten raw it's peppery and astringent; when cooked it has a milder flavour. Try to select crisp leaves with a deep green colour and keep refrigerated with their stems in a bowl of water.

Spinach and ricotta fritters with seared mango and watercress salad Serves 6 150g spinach 325g ricotta cheese Four large eggs 225g Italian '00' "our, sifted Two tsp baking powder Grated zest of 1 lemon One tbsp harissa or very "nely chopped red chilli One tsp lemon juice One litre sun"ower oil for deep-frying Sea salt For the salad:

Three perfectly ripe but still "rm mangoes Two tbsp sun"ower oil One tbsp palm sugar A small piece of red chilli, very "nely chopped Six handfuls of watercress For the dressing:

Three garlic cloves, very "nely chopped One long red chilli, deseeded and chopped to a confetti 30g palm sugar, grated A knob of fresh ginger, grated, then squeezed to extract the juice, "esh discarded Juice of two limes 15 tbsp tamari Two tbsp water A handful of coriander leaves To make the dressing, simply mix all the ingredients together and set aside. Then cut the 'cheeks' (a thick slice from either side of the stone) from the mangoes, peel and slice them neatly. Heat the sun"ower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the palm sugar and stir until dissolved. Then add the mango slices and fry until golden brown and crisply caramelised in places.

Stir in the chilli, remove from the heat and set aside while you make the fritters.

For the fritters, put the spinach in a pan, cover and place over a medium heat until wilted. Drain off any liquid and set aside to cool for a while.

Combine the spinach with the ricotta, eggs, "our, baking powder, lemon zest, harissa or chilli and lemon juice and mix well.

Pour the sun"ower oil into a small, deep saucepan and place over a medium heat. To test the temperature, drop a small amount of the fritter mixture into it . . . it should sizzle and rise to the surface.

Use two dessertspoons to shape the fritter mixture into quenelles . . . neat ovals made by scraping the mixture from one spoon to another.

Drop them into the hot oil, a few at a time, and cook for about two minutes, turning them over halfway through to make sure they are golden brown all over.

Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain, then to a large, "at plate.

Quickly toss the watercress in a tablespoon of the dressing and immediately pour the rest of the dressing over the fritters. Position the seared mango on top, then loosely pile the watercress on top of that. Serve without delay, to take advantage of the "uf"ness of the fritters and the pertness of the watercress.