Serves 4
Ingredients
Chopped parsley, chives, flour, egg and water for the batter. Just add the sweetcorn kernels once cooked.
2-3 sweetcorn cobs (or 1 tin drained or approx. 300g frozen sweetcorn kernels)
150g spelt, wholemeal or for a gluten-free option use buckwheat flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
Handful of chives, chopped (or you could use sliced spring onion)
Large handful fresh parsley, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped (or you could use coriander)
Chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper
Light oil
2 ripe tomatoes
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp paprika
½-1 tsp chilli flakes
1 lemon – juice and zest
Salt and pepper
4 Mackerel fillets, you can either use fresh or smoked
Microgreens or any salad leaves you like
Method
Fritters all ready to serve
Remove the husks and silk from the sweetcorn and boil in a large pan of salted water for 10 mins, then drain and cut the kernels from the cobs.
Mix the flour, baking powder and egg and gradually add 100 – 120 ml water to make a thick batter.
Add the chives, parsley and chilli (if using), season well and add the sweetcorn kernels and mix.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add a glug of oil. Fry spoonfuls of the fritters, press them down in the pan to flatten a little. When golden brown, flip over and fry on the other side. Don’t be tempted to flip too early or they might fall apart.
Keep them warm on a plate with some kitchen towel, while you cook the rest.
Finely chop the tomatoes and mash together with the avocado and add the paprika, chilli and lemon juice and zest to taste and season.
If you are using fresh mackerel, pan-fry until cooked. If you are using smoked I like them warmed through
Then serve the fritters with the avocado mash on top with the mackerel and microgreens (or salad leaves) on the side.
This makes a fabulous weekend breakfast or lunch. The fritters keep well for a few days in the fridge and can be reheated for a quick weekday breakfast with poached eggs, smothered in tahini or nut butter, or, if feeling really decadent, some smoked salmon.
Fresh sweetcorn cobs in the husks bear no comparison to the tinned stuff so make the most of the fresh cobs available late summer and early autumn here in the UK. Having said that, if you’ve got a tin in the cupboard or a bag of frozen kernels in your freezer you can still make these tasty fritters.
Facts about Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn is a nutritious vegetable, it has a high starch content and a reasonably-high sugar content for a veg, but this is no more than beetroot and half the amount in a banana. Serve it as the carbohydrate portion of the meal along with some protein-rich food and non-starchy veg to keep the meal balanced. Sweet corn is loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision. It has loads of insoluble fibre and a good amount of B vitamins, magnesium and potassium.
Sweetcorn in their husks
