Egg-battered courgette rounds (Hobak-jeon)

1. Cut the courgettes into rounds 7-8 mm thick, salt them, leave for 10 minutes, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a deep plate; put the flour on another plate.

3. First dredge the courgette rounds in flour, tapping off the excess, then dip them in the beaten egg.

4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, lay the rounds side by side and cook for 2 minutes per side, until the egg coating is golden yellow but not browned.

5. Drain on kitchen paper and arrange on a platter.

6. Serve warm or lukewarm with a dipping sauce of soy sauce and rice vinegar.

Tip: Jeon are the indispensable egg-battered fritters of the Korean festive table – at Chuseok, whole platters are fried. Keep the heat low: a good jeon is yellow, not brown. You can make them the same way with tofu, fish or mushrooms.