I have to admit that, with the temperature in the 80s and the humidity at 75%, I was loathe to turn on the oven this evening. Instead, I bunged the cherry tomatoes into the salad that I made to go with the fritters. And I use the term fritter rather loosely, as I just coudln't bring myself to deep fry these.
This dish was delicious but the roasted tomatoes would definitely have added an additional texture so, should you decide to make this, half the tomatoes, lay them cut side down up a baking tray, drizzle them with oil and sprinkle them with salt before baking them at 400 for 25 minutes.
Last but not least, with the removal of the lardons, this would be an excellent vegetarian dish. I also think that it would be delicious with the addition of quartered scallops in the batter but L. wouldn't let me.
This made 12 fritters.
2 cups corn kernels
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
2 avocadoes
1 shallot
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 tsps vinegar
1/2 cup cooked lardons or crumbled crispy bacon
Salt
If roasting the tomatoes, proceed as discussed above. If not, wait for directions below. While they are roasting, make the fritters.
Put 1 cup of the corn and the milk in a blender, or blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Tip into a bowl and add the remaining corn kernels, the milk, the flour, 2 teaspoons of the sage and salt to taste. Mix well, making sure there are no flour lumps. Set aside.
If not roasting the tomatoes, simply cut them in half at this time. Put them (either roasted or raw) in a bowl along with the chopped shallot, the diced avocado and the remaining teaspoon of fresh sage. Pour in the vinegar, 1 Tbsp of the oil and some salt, toss well and set aside to marinate while you cook the fritters.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. As soon as it is shimmering, add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan. I used my 1/4 cup measuring cup full to the brim to keep the fritter size consistent and cooked 4 fritters at a time. Cook for a minute or so and then flip and cook for an additional minute. Place in a warm oven while you make the next batch, adding a teaspoon of oil each time.
I served this on a bed of greens that I had topped with a creamy herb vinaigrette. Sprinkle the top of the greens with the avocado and tomato mixture, top that with fritters and sprinkle the lardons or bacon over the top.
Inspiration recipe, here.