Sweetcorn french toast with panchetta and avocado

• Serves 4

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

100 g thinly sliced pancetta
4 wedges of iceberg lettuce or rocket leaves to serve
1 avocado, thickly sliced micro leaves to serve (optional)
1 small red capsicum, thinly sliced in rings, to garnish

SWEETCORN LOAF

125 g butter
300 g fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 2 corn cobs), plus extra cooked shards for garnish (optional)
375 g tin condensed milk
60 g sour cream
5 large organic eggs
50 g masa harina PAN flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of sea salt
oil for spraying

ZESTY LIME DRESSING

finely grated zest of 3 limes
300 ml lime juice
115 g caster sugar
325 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt

SALSA MEXICANA

1 red onion, finely diced
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
150 g jicama (or breakfast radish or daikon), finely diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
1 habanero chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
4 large handfuls of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
150 ml Zesty lime dressing (see above) or lime juice
sea salt to taste

JALAPEÑO AND FINGER LIME CREMA

250 g sour cream
100 g salted ricotta, finely grated
2 green jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped
finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
1 garlic clove, grated
pinch of ground cumin
1 large handful of oregano leaves, finely chopped
50 g finger lime flesh or the zest and juice of 1 lime
sea salt to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C and lightly grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

For the sweetcorn loaf, melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the fresh or frozen corn kernels, cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the condensed milk and sour cream and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

Transfer the ingredients to a food processor and blend to make a smooth sauce.

Gradually add the eggs, masa harina PAN flour and baking powder, processing on low speed to combine. Season with the sea salt.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 30–40 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when tested. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool slightly, then invert the sweetcorn loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

If you want to make the zesty lime dressing for the salsa mexicana (instead of just using lime juice), combine the lime zest, 100 ml of the lime juice and the sugar in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the zest is soft. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process, gradually adding the olive oil and remaining juice, until emulsified. Season with the salt. (You can store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.)

For the salsa mexicana, combine the onion, tomato, jicama, jalapeño, habanero and coriander in a medium bowl. Just before serving add 150 ml of the zesty lime dressing or lime juice and toss to combine. Season with sea salt.

For the jalapeño and finger lime crema, combine the sour cream, salted ricotta, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, garlic and cumin in a bowl, and stir to make a smooth cream. Stir in the oregano and finger lime flesh. Season with sea salt. (You can store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

Preheat an overhead grill to high.

Slice the sweetcorn loaf into eight slices, 2–3 cm thick.

Arrange the pancetta slices on a baking tray and grill them until crisp. Drain off any excess fat and keep warm.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray the pan with cooking oil and cook the sweetcorn loaf slices for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

To serve, arrange two pieces of sweetcorn bread on each plate, top with an iceberg wedge and some pancetta and avocado slices. Spoon on some salsa mexicana and a dollop of the crema and garnish with the micro leaves (if using), capsicum and the shards of corn (if using).

This is an edited extract from Cooked: Food for Friends published by Hardie Grant $24.99 available in stores nationally.

Notes

Agave syrup: Also known as honey water, this sweet syrup is extracted from the same succulent plant that mescal and tequila come from, which grows in the southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. It is available from supermarkets, gourmet suppliers and Mexican grocery stores.

Finger lime: The finger lime is a gourmet bush food native to Australia and is sometimes known as lime caviar due to its caviar-like flesh. It has a citrus flavour similar to lime. Available from bush food specialists and some gourmet grocery stores.

Jicama: Sometimes called the ‘Mexican potato’, this tuber has crispy white flesh with a nutty flavour, somewhat like a water chestnut. It can be eaten raw or cooked. It is available from some supermarkets and gourmet greengrocers.

Masa harina PAN flour: Masa harina is a finely ground flour made from hominy (nixtamalised corn). It is used for making masa dough. Also known as harina PAN, this is a type of masa harina flour from Venezuela. It is available from South American grocery stores.