Sweet Corn Fritter, Smashed Avo and Poached Egg

I made these just because.  Fantastic brunch, lunch or easy supper.  I'm told that, once cooked, they freeze well and can be easily re-heated in a frying pan on a medium gentle heat.  I don’t doubt it.  They are also super easy to make.  This recipe will feed 4 to 6, depending on hunger levels. 

Ingredients:

400g sweetcorn (about 3 cobs)
75g plain flour
50ml milk
4 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tsp paprika
1tbsp caster sugar
2-3 spring onions
2 avocadoes
4-6 ripe tomatoes
Chilli sauce (see this post for advice)
A handful of grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Chipotle ketchup (optional)

1. Start by stripping the corn off the cobs.  You can do this by holding the cobs upright in a big bowl and cutting the kernels downwards vertically, like shown.  This will make quite a lot of mess and the kernels will fly off everywhere, so the bigger the bowl the better.  Watch your fingers as well, and pick out any rogue bits of husk that turn up.

2. You now need to make a savoury batter to bind the fritters together. In a big mixing bowl sift your flour, baking powder, paprika and sugar together.  Season lightly.  Beat 2 of the eggs and all of the milk together in a cup then pour this into the mixed dry ingredients.  Use an electric whisk to beat the mix into a batter.

3. Pour the corn kernels into the batter.  Slice the spring onions as finely as possible and chuck them in there too.  Mix the whole lot together.  Your fritters are now ready to be frittered.  Told you it was easy.

4. Right, time to make the smashed avos.  Your avocadoes need to be properly ripe, not ripe like those lying bastards in the supermarkets that write "ripe and ready to eat" on the packet.  Squidgy – but not too much so or they go all weird and stringy.  Avocadoes are so hard.

Anyway, peel and chop and stick them into a mixing bowl.  Dice the tomatoes relatively finely – about 1cm cubes.  Add them to the mixing bowl as well.

Grab a potato masher and mash them just enough so that there are no big avo lumps but roughly enough that some texture remains.  Splash in a lug of chilli sauce and mix together, tasting the mix to see if it's right.  I'd always say start conservatively with the sauce, as you want it to be hot but not sting.  You can always add more – it's taking it away that's tricky (although a squeeze on lime will take the edge off, you’re straying into guacamole territory – not necessarily a bad thing, but there it is).

5. Boil a pan of water to poach your eggs in.  Grab a large, heavy bottomed frying pan for the fritters and get that on a medium heat.  Throw in a lug of oil.  I had some food rings kicking around so decided to cook my fritters in those – don’t go thinking you need to do the same, you can totally freestyle these.  When the oil is hot, dollop a tablespoon of the batter into the pan.  Repeat for as many fritters you have space for.

They need two minutes and a half on the first side.  If you're using food rings (a) don’t be so pretentious; and (b) after two minutes trim around the inside before lifting them off.  Either way, wiggle a spatula underneath and flip 'em over.  They need another two minutes on this side so as soon as you've flipped them, start poaching the eggs.  A kitchen timer (or two) would be helpful right about now. 

6. Assemble: Fritter on place, avocado mulch on fritter, egg on top.  If you're feeling flush, finish with chipotle ketchup (as I did) and/or cheddar cheese.  Serve asap – it's much better hot.

 - GrubsterBoy -