Mark Greenaway recipe: Sweetcorn and basil fritters, smoked salmon, wilted spinach, semi-dried tomato, poached egg

Sweetcorn and Basil Fritters, Smoked Salmon, Wilted Spinach, Semi-Dried Tomato, Poached Egg. Picture: Comp

My move to support their work has been partly motivated by personal experience: my mother survived bowel cancer eight years ago. At the time I was unaware of Bowel Cancer UK, the work they do and the support they can offer. I feel that it is so important for people to be aware of this amazing charity and therefore I will be organising a series of events and initiatives throughout the year.

April is Bowel Cancer UK awareness month and I am inviting you to start your day in the best possible way with two unique breakfast events.

To kick it all off, Restaurant Mark Greenaway is hosting a breakfast on Wednesday, April 1, and to close the month Bistro Moderne will step up to the plate on Thursday, April 30. Both events will run from 7.30am to 9am and will be on a pay-what-you-want basis. All proceeds go directly to Bowel Cancer UK.

On the mornings there will be additional raffles and the team from Bowel Cancer UK will be available for a chat and to answer any questions that you may have.

Often it is assumed that the work of a chef is solely in the kitchen but I am really pleased that I can at times go beyond that by supporting really worthwhile causes.

I hope to see many friendly faces at these events – and watch this space, as our efforts will continue throughout the year.

To book a place at either event, just get in touch with the restaurants directly: Restaurant Mark Greenaway, 0131 226 1155 and Bistro Moderne,  0131 225 4431.

This week I am sharing my recipe for Sweetcorn and Basil Fritters, Smoked Salmon, Wilted Spinach, Semi-Dried Tomato, Poached Egg, which will appear on the menu at both events.

Ingredients

For the semi-dried tomatoes:

4 small tomatoes, each cut into 6 sections

Handful of basil leaves, roughly torn

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

For the fritters:

200g self-raising flour

2 large free-range eggs, beaten

300ml full-fat milk

100g sweetcorn

Handful of basil leaves, roughly torn

Pinch of salt

A little rapeseed oil to cook

For the wilted spinach:

500g spinach

Sea salt

Drizzle of rapeseed oil

To serve:

200g smoked salmon

4 poached eggs

METHOD

For the semi-dried tomatoes:

Set the oven to the lowest setting. Spread the tomatoes, basil and garlic out on a baking tray. Place in the oven for 5-6 hours. Pick off the basil and garlic and discard. Store the tomatoes covered in oil for up to as month.

For the fritters:

Sift the flour into a bowl, making a well in the centre. Add the eggs and half the milk. Beat until smooth, then gradually whisk in the remaining milk. Stir in the sweetcorn, basil and salt. Heat and lightly oil a non-stick pan. Drop 2-3 heaped tbsp of the mixture into the pan and fry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat until all of the batter is used up

For the wilted spinach:

Rinse the spinach in a colander under cold running water and drain well. Heat the oil in a large pan, Add the drained spinach and allow to cook for about a minute, turning frequently. Season with sea salt.

To serve:

Stack the fritters, spinach, salmon and tomatoes and top with a poached egg