Smokey tomato & bacon fritters with avo sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 250 grams bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 400 grams tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp. chopped chives
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• cup milk
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1⁄2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. chopped chives, extra
  

  AVO SAUCE

• 1 avocado
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced

METHOD

HEAT a pan over high heat. Fry bacon until golden and crisp. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl.

ADD the garlic, tomato, paprika, chives, eggs and milk to the bowl and stir to combine. Sift flour and baking powder together. Season with salt and pepper and add to the egg mixture. Mix well and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

HEAT oil in a large pan over medium heat. Dollop batter into the pan using about 2 Tbsp. of batter per fritter. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear. Flip fritters and cook until the other side is lightly browned. Transfer to a plate
and cover with a paper towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 8 fritters in total.

AVO SAUCE

PLACE the avocado flesh, mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste.

MIX fennel and extra chives in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

SERVE fritters with fennel salad and avocado sauce.

HANDS-ON TIME 40 min | TOTAL TIME 55 min | SERVES 4 | MAKE-AHEAD

TIP: Spelt is an ancient grain and the flour is available at major health stores. However, it can be substituted with regular cake flour instead.

ALSO SEE WARM POTATO SALAD WITH SPINACH & POACHED EGGS RECIPE

Warm potato salad with spinach and poached eggs