Not being a morning person makes me by default a big brunch fan—you still get to enjoy a great Kiwi breakfast, just a little later in the day.  And I think just about every Kiwi out there has their own corn fritter recipe, whether it uses fresh corn or canned, cream-style or whole kernels, it seems like one of those recipes we are armed with as an essential part of our antipodean upbringing. This is my take, a recipe that has evolved over my 26 years, tweaked and fine-tuned over many a weekend brunch with friends and family.  The addition of grated courgette keeps the fritters nice and light, along with using a relatively small amount of flour.

Last weekend we had these with a side of bacon, grilled eggplant steaks and a little avocado salsa, but they are great with any number of sides:  smoked salmon, grilled tomatoes, fried red onions, grilled red peppers, salad greens, sausages, chutney, sweet chilli sauce, sour cream, topped with a poached egg, the list goes on…

For the corn and courgette fritters (makes around one dozen palm-sized fritters)

410g can cream-style corn
1 large or 2 small courgettes, grated (~1 cup)
2 stalks spring onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp mild curry powder (optional)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 cup self-raising flour

Oil and a little butter* for frying – the butter is the secret to getting a nice crispy edge on the fritters, but you don’t need to fry them exclusively in butter.  I used a little canola oil and about half a teaspoon of butter for each batch.  Another delicious thing to do is fry up your bacon first, and then cook the fritters in the bacon dripping.

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the corn and grated courgettes.
2. Add spring onion, ground coriander, curry powder, sweet chilli sauce, eggs and coriander, and mix well.
3. Finally add the flour and mix until just combined.
4. Heat a little butter and oil in a frying pan.
5. Turn your oven on low and warm your plates while you cook the fritters, this way you can keep cooked fritters warm while you cook more.
6. When your pan starts to sizzle, add spoonfuls of mixture and cook the fritters in batches (3-4 at a time depending on the size of your pan).
7. Cook on a medium-high heat for a few minutes, until little bubbles appear on the top surface of the fritter.
8. Turn the fritters and cook until golden. Place on paper towel to drain.

These are delicious served with a little avocado salsa:

For the avocado salsa (makes around 1 cup)

1/2 – 1/4 of a red onion, depending on your taste
Juice of one lime
Juice of half a lemon
One ripe avocado
Handful of sweet cherry tomatoes
1 minced red chilli (optional)
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Finely dice the onion and place in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Pour the lemon and lime juice over the onion while you prepare the other ingredients – I find this takes some of the sting out of the onion.
3. Chop the avocado into 1-2cm cubes, and quarter the cherry tomatoes.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients to the onion and mix until well combined. Season to taste. Reserve while you cook the fritters.

*For dairy-free omit the butter and fry in olive or canola oil

Tags: Avocado, Bacon, Coriander, Corn, Courgette

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