Corn Fritters
Corn has not typically been my favorite summer vegetable, but we have received piles of it in our CSA (community supported agriculture) deliveries this year. I’ve found myself reaching for some of my favorite corn recipes to use it while it’s fresh, and in doing so I’ve remembered that fresh, local corn is deserving of its rank in the summer veggie pantheon.
Which brings me to this corn fritter recipe, which has been lightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s to make the perfect quantity for dinner for 2.
Made in one bowl and so simple that you will only need to measure your ingredients the first time, I hope these make it into regular rotation in your home, too.
Smitten Kitchen makes her fritters small and almost bite-sized; I cook mine to be about the same size as a large tomato and use them to create open-faced BLTs (lettuce optional).
Because there is nothing better than a sweet local corn fritter topped with a smear of mayo and topped with a thick slab of fresh, local tomato and crispy bacon. We eat these with our hands
The flavors here are a suggestion. This is nearly infinitely adaptable to whatever food mood you’re in or to accommodate whichever herbs are looking slightly sad at the back of your refrigerator. I’ve included Deb’s excellent flavor variations below; I’ve tried all of them with great results
Corn Fritter BLTs
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups of corn (about 3 ears)
2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
¼ cup herbs of choice such as chives, cilantro, or basil
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon each)
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup milk (more as needed)
DIRECTIONS:
Shuck corn into a large bowl. Add scallions, herbs, cheese, and salt & pepper
Add egg to the corn mixture and stir to combine, then add flour and milk and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick but all the flour absorbed.
Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of neutral oil or butter in a pan. When the oil shimmers, add a scoop of batter and press to flatten. When the underside is a golden brown, flip and cook to the same color on the second side. Remove to a plate; if you need to keep the cooked fritters warm while you cook the rest, a 200ºF oven will do the trick
Serve with a smear of mayo and stacked with bacon, lettuce, and tomato
FLAVOR VARIATIONS (VIA SMITTEN KITCHEN):
Miso-scallion: whisk 2 - 3 teaspoons white miso into the egg in the batter, skip the cheese, double-down on the scallions. Mix sriracha into the mayo.
Spiced: use ¼ cup minced red onion instead of scallions, cilantro instead of chives, and then add 1 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric and cayenne or another red chili powder to taste. Finish with a cooling dollop of yogurt.
Street corn-ish: Work some lime zest into the batter, use cotija cheese intead of cheddar, keep the scallions, and use cilantro for the herb. Finish with a shake of chili powder or, even better, tajín, and sour cream
