Sunday Brunch: Real Corn Fritters with Salsa, Sour Cream, and Bacon

I woke up this morning to glorious sunshine streaming in between the curtains. Ignoring the insane wind that's still blowing (though far better than the wind that shook my house last night), I hereby declare this day the perfect day to brunch - again, ignoring the wind (we Wellingtonians get pretty good at that).

I made these sweetcorn fritters, originally posted by Alison at Taste of My Life. She declared them the perfect brunch dish. And after trying them, I have to admit she's pretty much on the money with that point.

These are real corn fritters - with real corn in them. None of that mushy, too sweet, creamed corn business. The whole corn kernels give them texture, and stop the fritters becoming gluggy and dense, as can often happen with the creamed corn version. The result? Light, fluffy, textured fritters. 

While Alison suggests bacon and maple syrup, I took mine down the savoury route, adding lashings of sour cream and a chunky salsa. The perfect brunch for a sunny morning.

Real Corn Fritters with Salsa, Sour Cream, and Bacon (Makes up to 12 medium sized fritters - bank on 2 fritters per person)

For the Fritters
75g melted butter
3 cobs corn, husks and silk removed

2c all purpose flour 

3t baking powder

pinch of salt

430ml milk
1 egg

1T chopped parsley 

1t chopped chives
Oil for frying

For the Salsa

1large tomato, diced

1/2 a capsicum (in any colour you like), diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 spring onions, sliced (both the green and white parts)

1 green or red chili, finely sliced (seeds removed if you want a milder salsa)

Small handful of coriander, finely chopped

2T olive oil

Juice of half a lemon (or preferably lime if you have it)

2T capers

To Serve

Good quality free range streaky bacon

Sour cream

Get a pot of water on the boil for your corn. When it's ticking over nicely, add the corn husks and boil for 8 minutes or so, or until tender. When done, remove the corn and let it drain until cool enough to handle.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk in the milk and egg until you have a smooth batter. Add the herbs, corn, and melted butter. If you have time, let the batter stand for one hour covered with a tea towel.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine the tomato, capsicum garlic, spring onions, chilli and coriander in a bowl. Drizzle over the oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Geting your hands in there (clean hands please!), toss everything around until it's all coated and glistening. Set the salsa aside.

Fry the capers in a good glug of oil over a medium-high heat until they are golden and crispy. Pull out of the pan and set to drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Put another pan on a medium-low heat with a good splash of oil. This will be for the fritters. Turn the oven onto low. This will keep the cooked fritters warm while you cook the rest.

Just as the pan gets hot enough to start frying, get your bacon going on a low heat under the grill. This is where it pays to have a separate grill and oven. However, if like me yours is one and the same, the grill takes preference. The fritters will stay warm on a plate under the cooking bacon.

Spoon a ladleful of fritter mixture into the pan and gently push it out to make a circle. Fry until golden brown underneath. Then flip and fry the other side. Don't let the pan get too hot, or the outside will burn before the fritters are cooked through.

When each one is done, pop it on a plate in the bottom of the oven to keep warm. You'll end up with a stack of golden fritters.

Keep an eye on your bacon, so that it doesn't burn.

Once all the fritters are cooked, top the salsa with the fried capers. Place the salsa, fritters, bacon and sour cream on the table for each person to serve themselves.