What better weekend than to enjoy brunch in the spring sunshine? Try out this recipe for breakfast this weekend: oat and corn fritters from MasterChef alumni Hayden Quinn for Uncle Tobys. Start this on Saturday to pickle the ginger ahead of a Sunday morning feast.

Oat and corn fritters with smashed avocado and crispy bacon

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Pickled ginger*

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp sea salt

10cm ginger, peeled and shaved on mandolin lengthways

Fritters

1 cup self-raising flour

2 eggs, whisked 

1/2 milk

1/2 cup Uncle Toby’s traditional rolled oats

4 ears of corn, kernels removed

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp butter

Smashed Avo

2 ripe avocados, roughly chopped

1/4 cup coriander, leaves only, roughly chopped

1 tsp chili flakes

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp Australian extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

To serve

200g smoked streaky bacon

Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to serve

Lemon wedge, to serve

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

4 poached eggs (optional)

Make the pickled ginger 1 day ahead of time. Place rice wine vinegar, boiling water, sugar and salt in a small bowl and mix until dissolved. Add ginger, cover and place in fridge for 24hrs.

Heat a large non-stick fry pan over medium low heat. Place bacon flat in pan in one layer. Slowly cook until fat begins to render from bacon, flip and increase the heat. Cook bacon until super crispy and golden brown, you want to be able to easily chop through the crispy bacon to serve. Remove from pan, set aside on paper towel until ready to serve.

While the bacon is rendering down, start the fritters. Add flour to a large mixing bowl making a well in the centre, add egg and milk and slowing incorporate flour into wet ingredients. Once you have a smooth batter add the Uncle Tobys traditional rolled oats and corn kernels, season well with sea salt and fold through, do not over work as this will lead to tough fritters.

Give the same pan you cooked the bacon in a wipe and add a small amount of butter over medium heat. Spoon in fritter mix (about 2 tablespoons). Cook fritters in batches as you would a pancake. Flip when golden-brown and batter is cooked through. Place on a paper towel when done and continue with remaining batter.

Make the smashed avo by lightly mashing together the avocado (you still want it chunky so be gentle here) and stir through herbs, chili flakes, lime, oil and seasoning.

Divide fritters evenly between plates and top with smashed avo, crumbled crispy bacon, a drizzle of olive oil, wedge of lemon and pickled ginger. Add a poached egg to each serve if you want to bulk up your breakfast. Season with sea salt and pepper.

* This is best when you make it one day ahead of time so that the ginger can absorb the spices and vinegar. You can also buy pickled ginger from most large supermarkets and Asian grocers if you don’t want to make your own. Alternatively, make a large batch and keep it in the fridge to have on hand.

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