Corn pancakes with chili and chives

I made this dish simply because I could not ignore that can of corn which had been sitting in the cupboard for ages any longer. It's not that I don't like corn - I do, but lately I just never happened to fancy the sweetish taste of corn kernels. Oh, but I should have, in the combination with chives and especially chili to give them a bit of an edge! What a revelation these pancakes were - the sweetness of the corn cleverly balanced by the fiercly hot chili and the aromatic chives. The saltiness of the grilled parma ham (or bacon, if you prefer) rounds everything off perfectly. Definitely to be repeated.

Corn pancakes with chili and chives (serves 2)

• 300g canned corn, drained
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons fine polenta
• 2-4 tablespoons white flour
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• salt, pepper, nutmeg
• 1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• olive oil for frying

Blend the drained corn into a coarse purée. Separate the eggs and lightly beat the yolks. Add the puréed corn, the polenta, flour, baking soda and buttermilk and stir thoroughly. You may need to add more or less buttermilk depending on the consistency of the batter, which should be quite thick - a bit like cake batter. Add the chili and chives and season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whip the egg whites until very stiff and fold carefully into the batter. Check the seasoning. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat some olive oil over moderate heat. Pour a little batter into the oil, leaving enough space between the pancakes and cook for a few minutes on the first side, then flip over with a spatula and cook for another few minutes on the second side. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven while cooking the rest of the pancakes until all the batter has been used up. Serve with crisply grilled parma ham or bacon on top and a spoonfull of salsa on the side.