For Breakfast, for Dessert

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Sweet Corn Fritters

With Roasted Tomato

4 servings

Australian chef Bill Granger developed these fritters for his Bills restaurants in Sydney, where he serves them with rashers of bacon. Though the cakes are savory, they require fresh, very sweet corn to taste their best. Adapted from "Sydney Foods" (Murdoch Books, 2000).

For the tomatoes:

4 small tomatoes, preferably Romas

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the fritters:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears)

1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut in small dice

1/2 cup sliced scallions, white and tender green parts

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup arugula, for garnish (optional)

For the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. Place on a roasting tray, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.

For the fritters: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a medium bowl. Add the sugar, stir to combine, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth, stiff, lump-free batter forms. In a large bowl, place the corn, red pepper, scallions, cilantro and parsley. Add the batter and combine.

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the batter in scant quarter-cup amounts, cooking four at a time. Fry for 2 minutes or until the underside of each fritter is golden. Turn the fritters over and cook until the other side is golden. Transfer to another plate and keep warm while cooking the remaining fritters.

To serve, place a fritter on a serving plate, top with a roasted tomato half and lean a second fritter against them. Create two fritter-and-tomato stacks on each plate. If desired, scatter 1/4 cup of arugula on each plate around the fritter stacks and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 482 calories, 12 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates, 26 g fat, 109 mg cholesterol, 4 g saturated fat, 501 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Jane Touzalin; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com

Tomato-Nut Crunch

6 servings

An unusual dessert, perhaps of Sardinian descent, that goes well with aged Pecorino cheese. Adapted from "World's Best Tomato Recipes: 99 International Favorites for the American Kitchen" (World's Best Publishers, 2006).

3/4 cup fine bread crumbs

3/4 cup ground pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar*

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch-thick slices

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, ground nuts, salt and 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar. Add the butter and work in, using a fork or your fingertips, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place a single layer of tomato slices in the prepared baking dish and top with a heavy dusting of the dry mixture. Continue to alternate layers until the ingredients are used, ending with the dry mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until a loose crust has formed. Use a spoon to cut the crumble into the hot tomatoes. Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of vanilla sugar. Bake a few minutes more until the sugar has melted. Let cool slightly before serving.

*NOTE: To make vanilla sugar, fill a small resealable container with sugar. Using a sharp knife, split a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and bury it in the sugar. Seal and set aside for at least 24 hours to allow flavor to develop.

Per serving: 298 calories, 4 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 6 g saturated fat, 298 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com