Sweetcorn Fritters

These little oven baked fritters are quick and easy to make, freeze perfectly and can be served as they are (although best warm) or topped with anything that appeals. There are two topping suggestions below, one is sweet onion jam which is also delicious dolloped on toasted ciabatta or sourdough with melted goats' cheese. The other is a tomato and chorizo salsa, although the chorizo can be omitted if a veggie option is wanted.

Corn Fritters ingredients - makes 48 (easily halved)

160g tinned sweet corn (drained weight of one small can)

50g plain flour

0.5 tsp baking powder

20 ml milk

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 small salad onions, finely sliced

1 tsp caster sugar

Salt and pepper

2 large eggs

Oil for greasing silicone mini muffin tray (the silicone tray isn’t essential, a standard mini muffin tin works, but can stick more)

Method

Heat oven to 200°c

Grease silicone mini muffin tray and place on a baking sheet (and keep it on the baking sheet throughout the cooking)

Put flour, baking powder, seasoning, sugar, chopped parsley, sliced salad onions, milk and eggs in a food processor and blend until well mixed. Add the drained sweet corn and pulse to mix. Or mix the batter with a whisk.

Spoon the sweetcorn batter into the silicone muffin cups, about one quarter full.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, on the baking sheet.

Turn out onto a cake rack and cool. If freezing, open freeze and when frozen store in a box until required.

To serve:

The fritters can be served at room temperature or warmed gently in the oven. Top with either a small teaspoonful of the tomato salsa or onion jam or any other topping you like (avocado is good too). The underside is the flatter and more golden, so use this as the top.

If cooked and then frozen, heat the frozen fritters for 8 minutes, at 200°c until hot through and serve as above.

Tomato Salsa for fritters (for 48, easily halved)

Ingredients

2 medium tomatoes (totalling about 150g before de-seeding)

20g finely chopped red onion

Juice of a lime

2 tbsp chopped coriander

40g chopped cooking chorizo (optional)

Method

Deseed and neatly chop the tomato. Mix with the chopped red onion, coriander and lime juice. Cover and chill until required.

If using chorizo, fry the finely chopped chorizo until it turns golden brown and add it to the tomato salsa.

Sweet Onion Jam - or buy ready made

Ingredients - this makes more than needed (for the 48), but it is delicious on a slice of toasted or baked ciabatta or sourdough with melted goats’ cheese and a dollop of the jam.

300g brown onions, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

0.25 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

50 ml water (approx)

Method

Cook the chopped onions and thyme gently in the olive oil until the onions are soft, 10 or 15 minutes.

Add the honey and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar and some of the water and cook for another 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary. The final jam needs to be sticky and jam-like in consistency, not runny. If it seems too wet, turn up the heat and boil away some of the liquid (don’t let it burn).