Sweetcorn Fritters Part Deux

We finally managed to get a table at the new Balthazar in London a couple of weekends ago - I was a very happy girl indeed. I often used to walk past Baltahazar longingly when I was a penniless intern living in NYC, and only managed to visit once when ma mère was in town and was picking up the check, it was such a treat!

So when I heard that they were opening up in London I couldn't wait, and then boom, the waiting list to get a table was a couple of months long... oh dear. Anyway the long and the short of it is that we finally made it and it didn't disappoint. The food is what you'd expect of solid NYC/French bistro, but the atmosphere is what you go for. And the people watching, a particular favourite sport of ours, was superb!

Back at home, we had some super fresh sweetcorn in our veg box this week so I thought I'd recreate this brunch dish of theirs using my own sweetcorn fritter recipe and some tomato salsa to jazz it up. Despite the lack of hilarious table neighbours they tasted pretty darn good!

Sweetcorn Fritters with Tomato Salsa and Crispy Bacon

Serves 2 

Ingredients

1 egg, separated

1 tbsp milk

3 tbsp salf raising flour

Kernels from 2 ears of corn

6 rashers streaky bacon

300g baby plum/cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 small bunch coriander, finely chopped

lemon juice to taste

hot sauce to taste

Method

Beat together the egg yolk, milk, flour with some salt and pepper until you have a smooth paste, carefully not to over-mix. In a separate bowl whisk the egg white until light and fluffy. Fold 1/3 of the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed then carefully fold in the rest of the egg yolk mixture and the corn kernels. Set aside.

Grill the streaky bacon until crisp and keep warm. Mix all the salsa ingredients together with some seasoning and enough hot sauce to your taste. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable in a frying pan over a medium heat. Carefully spoon about 2 tbsp of the fritter mixture into the pan once hot forming a small fritter, repeat with more mixture, you should be able to get about 3-4 in a medium sized frying pan. Cook 2-3 minutes until you see bubbles forming on the surface and the underside is golden, flip carefully and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side until also golden. Remove to a baking tray lined with paper towels and keep warm until you use the rest of the mixture up. 

Serve the pancakes in a stack with the bacon in between and the salsa on top.