I wanted to put sweetcorn pancakes on our menu because they remind me of the happy Sundays of my 1970s childhood in New Zealand.
As the decade of fondues and flares dawned, stuffy dinners at the table disappeared. We were now permitted to eat supper in front of the TV, my parents in their La-Z-Boy chairs and us kids nestled in the gold shagpile carpet. Sunday suppers – or “cowboy tea” as we called it – became fun, consisting of party food like these sweetcorn pancakes done on a cute, miniature scale. My mother was clever at smuggling extra vegetables into dishes without raising suspicion – often the pancakes would contain peppers, courgettes or leeks and my brother and I would be none the wiser.
In the late 80s, sweetcorn pancakes became a brunch hit in New Zealand and Australia, often topped with avocado, grilled tomatoes and crispy bacon.
They are still a family favourite, although I’ve altered my mother’s recipe to make them vegan and gluten-free. In fact, they are crispier and tastier (sorry Mum!).
Servings: Four portions – serving two per portion (or they can also be made small for canapés)
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Vegan, gluten-free
Sweetcorn pancakes
525g frozen sweetcorn kernels (thawed)
240ml cup oat milk
2 tbsp white chia seeds
1 red pepper
½ bunch spring onions
½ bunch of fresh coriander leaves, washed and roughly chopped
60g buckwheat flour
60g polenta
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp rock salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
Coconut oil or olive oil for cooking
Guacamole
2 large, ripe avocados, diced or crushed with a fork
½ bunch of coriander leaves, washed and roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 chili, very finely diced
½ bunch spring onions, sliced and washed
½ tsp rock salt
½ tsp black pepper
Method
Pre-warm oven to 200c. Place half of the corn kernels and the oat milk, salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz until the corn kernels are pureed. Scrape into a mixing bowl. Grind the chia seeds, either by hand in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.
Wash the red peppers and dice – a ½ cm dice is ideal. Slice the spring onions then wash in a colander. Dirt is often lodged inside the green leaves and this is the most efficient way to remove it.
Mix the remaining sweetcorn and all other ingredients into the pureed corn, stirring until just combined.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Drop two serving spoons of mixture per pancake into the pan. Cook two or three at a time for 1½ minutes each side, or until golden, then transfer to a baking tray. Finish in the oven for 10 minutes till crispy and cooked through.
To make the guacamole, combine all ingredients, mix and serve immediately. If not using immediately, press a greaseproof paper cartouche on top of the guacamole to prevent oxidising in the air.
Top tip – wetting and wringing out the cartouche makes it more pliable and helps it to stick to the surface. At Redemption, we serve two pancakes with a healthy dollop of guacamole and garnish with cherry tomatoes, and a handful of rocket.
Andrea Waters is co-founder and executive chef of Redemption
