Posts tagged sweetcorn

Sweetcorn Fritters & Smoked Salmon

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elieve it or not, I posted this recipe in 2012 and have been making fritters almost weekly. It’s such a faithful fritter recipe and can be paired with many ‘toppings’ for any meal time (see below). Feel free to even chuck in any leftover fridge ingredients such a diced chorizo, cubed feta or even some bacon if you feel like it. I’ve disappointingly ventured into courgette fritter making but always end up with a watery soggy mess. My pea, mint and black pudding fritters come a close second and Ottolenghi’s Cauliflower & Cumin recipe is a winner if you’ve not attempted them.  However sweetcorn is the one for me.

I have been pushing for “Isolation Friday date nights” to become the new norm in our new anti-social life as I search desperately to find something to look forward to in the week and focus my creative mind on. This week was my turn and we “went”….beer tasting (in our living room)! It felt good to support my local craft beer store (Ghost Wale) which I’m ashamed to say I’d never been to before now. So I ‘click & collected’ 5 new beers and set up a flight of interesting beers.

Given we eat these fritters on a weekly basis, I was keen to indulge in a favourite comfort recipe to match our beers as we ate and drank away our Friday night after a pretty busy week working and destroying my leg muscles doing squats on the balcony!

These can be eaten for breakfast (top with smoked salmon, grilled chorizo, poached eggs, hollandaise etc); lunch snack with a salad or dinner as I’ve done here. Guacamole makes a great addition with some slices of grilled halloumi to keep it vegetarian!

Makes about 8 fritters

  • 300g frozen sweetcorn
  • 4 spring onions
  • Large bunch coriander, chopped
  • 1/2 red chilli chopped OR 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 40g plain flour
  • 40g polenta
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 50g grated cheese (I use half cheddar, half parmesan)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • Smoked salmon to serve
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 1 x can black beans
  • 1 x avocado, diced
  • 2 large tomatoes, dressed and chopped
  • Creme fraiche OR Greek yoghurt to serve.
  1. Make the fritter batter firstly by bringing the corn to the boil in a saucepan and simmering for a few minutes. Drain well and leave to cool.
  2. Mix the spring onions, half the coriander, chilli, flour, baking powder, polenta, cheese and a seasoning of salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  3. Add about 1/3 of the sweetcorn to the bowl. Blend the other 2/3 in a food processor until chunky but blended. Add this to the mixing bowl and stir well.
  4. Mix in the 2 beaten eggs thoroughly until the mixture is a good thick batter.
  5. Assemble the black bean salad by draining and rinsing the black beans and adding them to a serving bowl. Add the avocado, the tomatoes, the other half of the coriander and some good seasoning. Squeeze over the juice of the lime and stir to combine.
  6. To make the fritters, heat a tbsp of sunflower oil in a large non-stick frying pan. When hot, add a few spoonfuls of batter at a time for each fritter into the hot oil and cook the fritters for a few minutes each side until they are golden on the outside but cooked through. Drain on kitchen towel once cooked. Continue with the rest of the batter.
  7. To serve, stack 2-3 fritters per person and top with some smoked salmon slices. Spoon over a dollop of creme friache or greek yoghurt and squeeze over the juice of a lemon and some cracked black pepper.
  8. Serve alongside the black bean salad!

Cajuan Salmon and Sweetcorn Puree

Jess - cajuansalmon2

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k. I’ll admit this isn’t very festive…or wintery…or seasonal. Apologies. But frankly the unprecedented warm weather recently has sent us all into a state of confusion!? And following a few too many glasses of mulled wine after the annual village Christmas carol concert and a need for something fresh, filling and quick, Cajuan salmon seemed like the obvious choice…? Obvious right?

Serves 2

  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 1 tsp of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can sweetcorn
  • 1/2 lime, zest and juice
  • Pinch chilli flakes
  • 30g butter
  • Bunch coriander, chopped
  • Mix of broccoli – purple sprouting and normal (enough for 2), chopped into florets
  • 1 banana shallot, halved and finely sliced into half moons
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • Natural yoghurt to serve
  1. Marinade the salmon in the dried spices, some seasoning and the olive oil and put in the fridge for about 20 minutes
  2. Heat a good layer of sunflower oil in a frying pan until hot. Mix the flour and the chopped shallots in a bowl and season.
  3. When the oil is hot add the shallots and fry, moving around with a fork, until deep golden and crisp. Tip into a bowl lined with kitchen roll and season. Set aside.
  4. In the same pan, add another drop of oil and stir fry the broccoli gently until charred. Set aside to keep warm in a low oven.
  5. Simmer the sweetcorn in the canned juices and enough water to cover for 3-4 minutes. Drain
  6. Add to the bowl of a food processor while hot and add the butter, chilli, coriander, juice and zest of the lime and some seasoning. Puree until smooth and taste. Set aside to keep warm in a pan.
  7. Finally, heat a splash of oil in your frying pan until hot. Fry the salmon, skin side down for about 5 minutes, turning halfway, depending on the thickness. Equally this would be excellent grilled on a grilled but mine was out of action!Jess - salmon
  8. When ready to serve, spoon a generous helping of sweetcorn puree onto a warmed plate. Top with the salmon. Mix the crispy onions with the warm broccoli and serve on the side and sprinkle with any extra coriander leaves.

Add some natural yoghurt if the what gets too much!

Jess - broccoli

Chilli Corn Soup

I’ve been creating a lot of soup recipes recently. Its such a fantastic way of getting your greens and vegetable into your diet. And with the chilly weather recently, I’ve found myself lunching on soup nearly everyday! So some variation was in order. I churn out the same old soups, for ease, taste and price. But with a little thinking time I’ve tried to come up with some more original ideas to keep lunch times more interesting.

Like my quick pea and mint soup this is another super speedy soup that can be made in about 15minutes. Its so full of flavour and punch for such a quick recipe! While served simply as it is its great for a quick or light lunch it can be bulked up by adding some raw king prawns while you heat it through or with more chunks of hot fried chorizo for more of a hearty chowder style. I’ve also been known to crush a handful of cheese laden nachos on top too….and on the side….and errr….as a second course on those chilly nights. Its improtant to keep warm you know.

(This is a chunkier and spicier sweetcorn soup to the velvety creamed corn soup version here)

Serves 4

  • 4 spring onions, chopped including green tops
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 red chilli – as hot as you can handle
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 cans sweetcorn (net drained weight about 520g or the same weight in frozen corn)
  • About 500ml hot stock
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • Large bunch chopped coriander, stems reserved
  • To serve – Lime yoghurt, soured cream fried chorizo, prawns etc
  1. Heat a splash of oil in a sauce pan. Fry the spring onion lightly until softened then add the garlic and chilli and fry for a few minutes.
  2. Add the sweetcorn to the pan along with the chilliflakes and coriander stems and turn up the heat.
  3. Add just enough stock to cover the corn so there is enough for it to simmer in the liquid. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
  4. Blend with a hand blender adding as much stock as you need to obtain the consistency you want. Grates in the zest of the lime and squeeze in the juice. Add the coriander and blend again.
  5. Serve topped with e.g. fried chorizo, fried prawns, lime yoghurt a drop of chilli oil OR…. all of the above!

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Mexican Roast Chicken Feast

 

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Sometimes an English roast can be boring (shoot me now)…especially in summer. I’ve experimented with a Spanish roast (see here) but it was time for a Mexican Roast chicken over the weekend as my craving for dark creamy black beans took over. This chicken recipe is a great BBQ favourite of mine…and Jamie’s. You know a good marinade when you make it in the morning, refrain from eating there and then and think about it all day until that charcoal is ready! The sweetcorn puree adds a lovely sweetness to this to counteract the savoury beans and spicy chicken and greens.

Mexican Roast Chicken Feast – Serves 4

BBQ Chicken

  1. Marinade the chicken the night before if you can. Massage over the chicken making sure you get it into all the cracks.
  2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. Line a roasting tray with foil and place the chicken on top with the excess marinade. Wrap in foil and roast for about 1hr and 20 minutes depending on the size. For the final 15 minutes or so, turn up the heat to 200°C and remove the foil to allow the skin to crisp up and brown. (This recipe is actually best cooked in the oven first to keep it moist and then finished on the BBQ so you get that charred outer crust and moist meat).
  4. When cooked remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes wrapped in foil while you finish the side dishes.
  5. When ready to serve, carve rustically, scatter with fresh mint and give everyone a wedge of lime for squeezing over.

Black beans

  • 2 x tins black beans, drained (retain the juice only if not salted)
  • 2 large spring onions, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • ½ red chilli
  • Bunch coriander chopped
  • Lime juice
  1. Fry the spring onion in a little oil to soften for a few minutes then add the garlic and chilli and soften for a few minutes.
  2. Add the beans and top up with a little hot water or the bean can juice (as long as it is not salted). Add enough to cover them gently and allow to simmer.
  3. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. The consistency you want will depend on how you like them so simmer longer for a thicker texture. I like mine to be quite loose but still sit on the plate.
  4. Use a masher to lightly crush and mash some of the beans. This will help thicken the mixture and add texture but leave most of the beans whole.
  5. Taste and season. Add the coriander and a squeeze of fresh lime before serving.

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Sweetcorn Puree

  • 1 x tin sweetcorn, drained.
  • Milk to cover
  • 1 knob butter
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Drain the sweetcorn and add to a saucepan. Add enough milk to just cover and bring to the simmer making sure the milk doesn’t boil over (not speaking from experience at all…..).
  2. Simmer for about 5 minutes then drain reserving the cooking milk.
  3. Add to a food processor with some salt and pepper and a large knob of butter. Puree for a good few minutes until really soft and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved milk as it blends to thin it out until you have the consistency you’re after.
  4. Sieve the mixture into the pan to remove the tough shells and produce a really creamy velvety puree (this is optional, just as good left non sieved). Set aside to keep warm.

Garlic-Chilli Broccoli

  • ½ red chilli, sliced thinly
  • 2 large cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • Broccoli
  1. Heat a good glug of oil in a frying pan until hot. Fry the chilli and garlic for a few minutes until beginning to turn golden and crispy but make sure you don’t burn it. It can turn very quickly so remove from the heat and pour into a serving dish just before it looks ready, as it just turns golden as it will keep cooking a little after.
  2. Cook the broccoli al dente and drain well. While still warm, toss in the garlic-chilli infused oil and serve.

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Chilli and Cornbread

 

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This is one of those rare suppers that is all the more appreciated when eaten in front of the TV on a chilly winters evening warming your lap- served in a warm bowl topped with cooling soured cream, freshly made guacamole and a hearty door-stop-wedge of cornbread smothered in butter or extra cheese- it hits the sport every time!

If you prefer, serve with rice instead of cornbread. I also highly advise you to make your own guacamole- I promise it is one of the easiest things to knock up and once you’ve made it, you’ll never buy a plastic pot of the gloppy stuff again. Regardless of taste- its quicker to make too!

Chilli (Serves 3-4)

  • 450g beef mince
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
  • 1 tsp each- ground cumin, coriander, chilli powder, chilli flakes
  • 300ml red wine
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 heaped tsp marmite
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • To serve- soured cream, guacamole, cornbread or rice
  1. Heat a heavy based saucepan on the hob and add a splash of olive oil and soften the onion and red pepper for 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
  2. Add the mince, break up and brown well. Add the spices and cook out for a few minutes.
  3. Turn up the heat and add the wine, Worcestershire sauce and marmite and brink to a simmer.
  4. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.
  5. Either simmer gently with a lid on, on the hob for 20 minutes or in an oven preheated to 180°C
  6. After this time, add the kidney beans and stir well. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and thickened. This can cook away slowly for as long as you like, in a low oven. If it gets dry, add a splash of water.

Guacamole

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 small red chilli, chopped finely
  • 1 lime, juice and zest
  • Small bunch coriander, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Mash up the avocado flesh with a fork in a small bowl,
  2. Stir in the chopped chilli, lime juice and zest and coriander and season. Serve at room temperature.

CornbreadSee here

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Cornbread

 

I love this American derived cornbread as it has a really deep rich flavour. Our family loves a good bowl of spicy chilli and rice when the colder months hit but sometimes rice gets a bit dull and this makes a really hearty change. Cornbread is a traditional Southern American staple which I love! I’ve added popular ingredients like cheese, chilli and sweetcorn but the usual cornbread is actually fairly plain, made with polenta (cornmeal) and baking powder which makes it rise.

  • 140g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 125g polenta/cornmeal
  • 1/2tsp chilli flakes
  • 75g mature cheddar, grated
  • 4 spring onions, chopped including the green tops
  • 25g melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 150ml whole milk
  • 150ml buttermilk
  • 150g sweetcorn
  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  2. Traditionally made in a skillet, I made mine in a flat square brownie tin (23cm x 23cm and 4cm deep) but also feel free to use a loaf tin. Grease and line with baking parchment.
  3. Combine the first 9, dry, ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a jug.
  5. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and, working quickly as the bicarbonate will begin to react with the buttermilk for the rising effect, whisk in the melted butter followed by the egg and milk. Stir in the sweetcorn, and transfer quickly to the prepared tin.
  6. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden and cooked.
  7. This is best served warm with salty butter and a bowl of steaming chilli, soured cream and guacamole smothered all over the top like there’s no tomorrow.

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Cornbread Fritters with Soured Cream and Guacamole

These little cornbread inspired fritters/pancakes were made with the leftover pulp from the sweetcorn soup I made. I hate waste and this way, the delicious wholesome leftovers were put to good use. You could alternatively use tinned corn which you can blend, the texture may be slightly different so just add more flour/milk to adjust for a drier/wetter batter. The polenta adds a crispy texture, the cheese melts everywhere and the chilli provides that familiar cornbread kick.

  • 300g leftover pureed corn from your Creamy Sweetcorn Soup– see recipe (or tinned sweetcorn, pureed)
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped including green tops
  • ½ large red chilli, finely chopped
  • 40g grated mature cheddar cheese
  • 40g plain flour
  • 40g polenta/cornmeal
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  1. In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, spring onions, chilli, cheese and season.image
  2. Whisk in the eggs and then stir in the flour, baking powder and polenta until you have a thick batter. If the batter is too runny add a little more flour. It should be fairly thick but will set once cooked.image
  3. Heat a thin layer of sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry spoonfuls of the mixture for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden and crusty from the polenta. The mixture can be a little wet but adding too much flour I’ve found makes them taste a bit ‘floury’ whereas here they will taste solely of sweetcorn.image
  4. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool slightly before serving warm with soured cream and guacamole!

Creamiest Sweetcorn Soup with Truffle Oil

I’d never had sweetcorn soup until this beauty, made with 4 large rusks that were bordering edible, cluttering up my fridge. However, it was the creamiest, silky soup I’ve ever made.

I’m never one to sieve anything, especially soups as I think much of the nutrients and goodness are in the skins or roughage and it seems such as waste to chuck the pulp away! However………however…….the sieved version is like eating a shining billowy parachute of silk and is devine. Plus for the waste conscious like myself, the leftover pulp/pureed corn I used economically and deliciously in some amazing cornbread fritters to serve alongside or the next day.

Serves 2 – Sieved, elegant and smooth

Serves 4 – Chunky, rustic and wholesome

  • 4 corn cobs, kernels removed (about 400g)
  • 1.1 litre vegetable stock
  • 50ml double cream
  • 30g butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small leek, chopped finely
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Truffle oil, to serve
  • Chives, to serve
  1. Begin by heating the butter and oil in a pan. Add the leek and garlic and soften over a medium-low heat until translucent.
  2. Remove the kernels from the corn by standing the cobs on end and use a sharp knife to score them off. Add the bay leaf to the pan and the corn. Cook for about 4 minutes.
  3. Add the hot stock and season. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. After this time, remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor.
  5. Add the cream and check the seasoning.
  6. Now if your plan to sieve it, just strain through a fine mesh sieve and retain the silky soup. Use a spoon to get as much of the moisture and starch from the puree as you can. Retain the pulp for some cornbread fritters.
  7. Heat the strained soup and garnish with chives and a drizzle of truffle oil if you like.

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