Savoury Mexican-Style Sweetcorn Waffles

I love a good waffle, whether sweet or savoury, so my waffle iron gets a fair bit of use – in my kitchen, it isn't one of those gadgets that sits in a cupboard gathering dust!

These couldn‘t be simpler to make, and are delicious topped with elotes-style sauce, avocado, tomatoes, charred corn and jalapeños. They're crisp on the outside, and soft and fluffy in the middle, with nuggets of sweet juicy corn kernels and a little kick of spice. If you can't get hold of ears of corn, then tinned sweetcorn is just fine.

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the waffles

3 x ears of corn, or 3 x 150g tins sweetcorn

Light oil, such as groundnut

1 cup plant-based milk – I used oat

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp light oil – I used groundnut

1 cup all-purpose plain flour (you can use gluten-free if you like)

1 heaped tbsp fine cornmeal/polenta

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Grinding of black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

⅛-¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ jalapeño, finely diced (optional)

For the elotes-style sauce

½ cup vegan mayo

Juice of 1 lime

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp vegan feta, crumbled, or vegan Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

¼ tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

To serve

2 avocados, sliced

4 spring onions, finely sliced

8 medium tomatoes on the vine, quartered

Small bunch coriander leaves

1 jalapeño chilli, finely sliced

Handful mixed radishes, finely sliced

Micro herbs or sprouts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to the highest temperature possible. Place the corn on a baking tray, removing the leaves if you're using ears, and drizzle with a little light oil.
Roast until golden and charred in places, turning the ears or stirring the corn regularly – this should take about 20 mins.
Pour the corn into a bowl or, if using ears, wait for them to cool down enough for you to handle and carefully slice the kernels off into a bowl.
Combine the milk, vinegar and oil in a small bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, combine the rest of the waffle ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until just combined. Add a third of your charred corn and stir to combine.
Turn your waffle iron on to high. While it heats up, make your elotes-style sauce by whisking together all the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.
Make sure you've prepped all your toppings before you start making the waffles. When you're ready to serve, start cooking the waffles as per your waffle iron's instructions, as they do vary. I grease the iron very well on both sides, and cook the waffles on high for about 2-3 mins. I then turn the iron down to medium for a further 5 mins, check on them to make sure they're nice and crisp, and if not whack up the heat for another minute.
When the waffles are ready, either keep them warm in the oven while you make the rest, or serve immediately. I like to serve these topped with a spoonful or two of the elotes sauce and the remaining charred corn, then let everyone dig into the toppings themselves.