SUMMER MEAL
Corn makes seasonal debut in savory pancakes paired with salsa or fried egg.
Serves 4 to 5 (makes 10 3-inch pancakes)
Adapted from “Posh Pancakes: Over 70 Recipes, From Hoppers to Hotcakes,” by Sue Quinn (Quadrille Publishing, 2018).
2 ounces (about 1 cup) bagged frozen spinach (not in a block) 9 ounces frozen corn
kernels (about 2 cups) 1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking
powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or
coarse sea salt 1 teaspoon ground
coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground
cumin
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (sweet or hot) 1 large egg 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan 1/2 cup cold water
Place the corn and spinach in separate microwave-safe bowls; place in the microwave and defrost in 20-second increments, until they are slightly warm.
Use a fork or a whisk to stir together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the coriander, cumin and smoked paprika in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the egg and the tablespoon of oil until well blended, then add the water and defrosted corn, stirring to form a thick batter. (We used multicolored corn here.)
Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s quite hot, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Use 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. As soon as it hits the pan, flatten each portion a bit, so the pancake is about 3 inches across. Scatter some of the defrosted spinach atop each pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden.
Transfer to a platter and cover loosely to keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan, as needed.
Sprinkle with the remaining salt; serve hot.
Nutrition (per pancake based on 10) | Calories: 130; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 240 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 20 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 4 g.