Sweetcorn Fritters with Roast Sweet Potato

Recently while walking through my favourite food store Castroni, I was surprised to spy a can of creamed corn on the shelves and my mind was taken back to ‘corn fritters’!  To be honest, we would sometimes have the creamed corn served hot on toast for a lazy Sunday dinner.   My nostalgia though was for Sweetcorn Fritters and I decided I better make them for my children, Annabella & Joseph.   After eating them for lunch, their verdict was honest.  Joseph devoured three – one after the other, but then announced that they were just ‘OK’…. and with an expression resembling a critical MasterChef judge, suggested I add pancetta the next time.  Annabella ate hers with mayonnaise, said she loved them and even took the leftovers away with her to eat on the train.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Roast Sweet Potato

• 4-5 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 3 cups (about 500g fresh corn kernels)  OR 1 can sweetcorn + 1 corn creamed corn
• 1 red onion chopped
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• Freshly ground Black pepper
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp baking powder
• olive oil

1. Use a potato peeler to peel sweet potato and cut into 4 to 6 pieces.  Cover lightly with olive oil, season with salt and roast for about an hour at 180°C, or until they are soft.
2. Chop red onion and lightly fry in a little olive oil until transparent and lightly golden. (Pay attention it doesn’t burn.)
3. If you are using fresh sweetcorn, use a food processor to chop finely half of the sweetcorn.  If using a can of sweetcorn and a can of the creamed corn, you can add them directly to the eggs.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs by hand.  Add the sweetcorn, onion, half of the parsley, salt and pepper.  Mix well to combine all ingredients.
5. Add baking powder to flour.  Sift half of the flour over mixture, stirring continuously until combined.  Repeat with remaining flour.
6. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a fry pan over a medium high heat.
7. When the oil is hot, drop 1/4 cup of mixture into the pan. (cook 3 or 4 at a time) and cook in batches like you would cook pancakes, flipping over and cooking until both sides are golden.
8. You can transfer sweetcorn fritters to a baking tray and keep them warm in the oven while you are making the rest of the fritters.
9. Serve with roasted sweet potato, and a little freshly chopped parsley.

Notes: 

• You can substitute Self-Raising flour for the plain flour + baking powder.
• You can add cooked sweet potato to sweetcorn fritter mixture and cook together.
• These are savoury pancakes – get creative and add pancetta, bacon, or spinach or any other vegetable.
• Keep a couple of cans of sweetcorn in the pantry and you’ll always be able to whip these up for weekend brunch.
• Great for brunch, picnics, lunchboxes or an easy lunch when travelling.

Frittelle di Mais con Patate Dolci

Recentemente, mentre stavo passeggiando nel mio negozio del cuore, Castroni, sono stato sorpresa di trovare una lattina di crema di mais: la mia mente è stata subito condotta indietro alle “frittelle di mais” della mia infanzia! Onestamente, a volte ci veniva servito il mais cremoso caldo sul toast per un ‘easy’ cena della domenica.  La nostalgia però era per le Frittelle di Mais – cioè i ‘Sweetcorn Fritters’ – e ho deciso che dovevo farli per i miei figli, Annabella e Joseph. Dopo averli mangiati a pranzo, il loro verdetto era onesto. Joseph ne ha divorati tre, uno dopo l’altro, ma poi ha annunciato che erano solo “OK” …. e, con un’espressione simile a un giudice critico di Masterchef, ha suggerito di aggiungere pancetta la prossima volta. Annabella le ha mangiate con la maionese, dicendo che le sono piaciute tanto da portarsi via gli avanzi, per mangiarli sul treno.

Ingredienti

• 4-5 patate dolci di media grandezza
• 500g chicchi di mais freschi Oppure 2 barattoli di mais
• 1 cipolla rossa tritata
• 3 uova
• 1 cucchiaino di sale
• Pepe nero appena macinato
• 125g di farina
• 1/2 tazza di prezzemolo tritato
• 1 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci
• olio d’oliva

Metodo