I had the most wonderful appetizer at a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and decided that we needed an easy version in Mississippi. I made it, our staff tasted it, and we think it is a winner. It is great to serve on individual plates with cocktail forks or as a first-course salad. Enjoy!
Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes with Salsa and Avocados
1½ cups frozen corn, thawed, divided
1 stick butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup Masa Harina corn flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (7-ounce) can Salsa Verde
1 (7-ounce) can Salsa Casera
½ cup Southwest Ranch dressing
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
For garnish: fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the tamale cakes, coarsely purée 1 cup corn in food processor; set aside. With mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until combined. Beat in puréed corn until smooth. Combine flours and add to butter mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in remaining corn. With floured hands, form ½ cup batter into 3-inch patties. Place patties on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cakes are brown on the bottom. Turn patties and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until browned.
To serve, spoon 1½ tablespoons Salsa Verde onto plate. Place corn cake in center of Salsa Verde. Top with 1 tablespoon Salsa Casera. Arrange avocado pieces on corn cake and drizzle both ways with Southwest dressing. Garnish with cilantro
Yield: 6 servings