Corn Fritters with Smoky Tomato Chilli Relish

Sweetcorn Fritters with Smoky Tomato Relish.jpg

Makes 8 fritters

Continuing on my pre-Pancake Day quest to consume breakfast, lunch and dinner all in pancake form, I finally got around to making some corn fritters.  I have always loved enjoying them in restaurants but have never made a stab at making them myself, but boy am I glad I did! I know that they are more of a summer dish, when both the sweetcorn and tomatoes are in season, but I’m using my pancake-y poetic licence for this post!  Plus, this crazy February heat wave has gotten me dreaming of the summer time when I will substitute using tinned corn and tomatoes for the fresh veggies instead.

I kind of feel bad for the smoky tomato relish as it has been relegated to just a side garnish.  But it is so darn tasty; it really deserves a whole blog post all to itself!  I have been using it instead of mustard or ketchup with chicken, as well as on top of a fried egg, or with some cheese and crackers.  Although the relish takes 2 hours to make, it is totally hands off time, as everything is just plonked in a saucepan and left alone to do its thing on the hob, apart from the odd stir here and there. It lasts for ages in the fridge (or freezer), so it is really worth making every once in a while.  Your mouth will thank you later.

These wholegrain corn fritters make such a wonderful brunch, as they are super easy to make, deliciously tasty and are high in fibre and protein.   They are made even better when topped with a poached egg, some smoked salmon or sliced avocado…..or if you’re feeling hungry – all three!   

Each serving (of two fritters) provides 278 calories, 14g of protein, 8g of fibre and 18% of my daily Vitamin C requirements.

INGREDIENTS

For the fritters 

·     280g Tinned Sweetcorn – drained
·     85g Frozen Peas
·     2 Eggs
·     100g Wholemeal Self Raising Flour
·     8 Spring Onions
·     Handful of chopped Fresh Dill
·     Handful of chopped Fresh Chives
·     100ml Milk (I used Oatly)
·     Zest of 1 Lime & juice from ½ Lime
·     Salt & Fresh Black Pepper
·     1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes if you like a little spicy kick
·     Oil to fry
·     Optional but recommended – 45g Grated Cheese (I used Smoked Scamorza)
·     For a Mexican twist, substitute the dill and chives for diced Jalepenos & chopped Coriander.
·     For a Smoky twist, substitute the dill and chives for a tsp Smoked Paprika and ½ tsp Chilli Flakes. 

For the Tomato Relish 

·     1 Tin Plum Tomatoes
·     1 Red Onion
·    125ml Sherry Vinegar (I used Maille Sun-dried Tomato Sherry Vinegar)
·     100g Xylitol (or Coconut Sugar)
·     2 Garlic Cloves
·     1 tsp Smoked Paprika
·     ½ - 1 tsp Chipotle Chilli Flakes (depending on how spicy you like your food)

METHOD

For the fritters

·     Drain the sweet corn and defrost the peas.
·     Thinly chop the spring onions, dill and chives.
·     In a mixing bowl, sift in the flour, make a well in the middle and crack in the eggs.  
·     Combine the eggs and flour.
·     Slowly pour in the milk.
·     Mix well so there are no lumps.
·     Add the sweet corn, peas, dill, chives, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chilli flakes if using.
·     Mix well.
·     Grate in the cheese, if using.
·     Heat some oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fritters in batches for approximately 3 minutes on each side until they are nice and crispy.  
·     NOTE - To keep them warm while you are cooking in batches, either put them in a warmed oven on low, or else just use a couple of frying pans on the go at the same time.
·     Serve with the tomato relish and either an egg, some smoked salmon or sliced avocado. 

For the relish

·     Thinly slice the red onions.
·     Chop the tomatoes if they aren’t already.
·     Mince the garlic.
·     Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat on the hob, stirring occasionally.
·     It should take approximately 2 hours to form a sticky sweet relish. 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Macros for 2 Corn Fritters

Calories – 248
Protein – 14g
Fat – 8g
Carbohydrates – 30g
Fibre – 6g
Vitamin C – 14%
Calcium - 14%