A certain kind of magic happens when you combine vegetables with a bit of binding and fry them until golden and crisp. Think of a solid okonomiyaki with cabbage, a hearty potato latke, a crispy pakora, or these delightful corn fritters. The combination always hits the spot.
MY CORN FRITTER CRITERIA
While I’ll gladly eat all kinds of vegetable fritters, my heart is with a solid, sweet corn version. The corn crisps nicely while holding its texture. When it comes to the surface, I don’t like my corn fritters overly cakey, which means using just enough flour to keep all the ingredients together.
When frying, you might be concerned the fritters will fall apart. Fear not; the key is to spoon into hot oil, press down slightly, and wait until the fritter is quite crisp before flipping.
FLAVOR IT
This recipe is an excellent base for experimenting with other interesting flavor combinations. Add different cheeses, spices, grains, or kimchi to the batter. Some inspiration: cilantro + jalapeño, feta + cumin, or red lentil + curry.
I also love serving it with a hearty grain base or even a multigrain mix.
CHEDDAR CORN FRITTERS WITH BASIL MAYO
A crispy summer corn fritter paired with thinly sliced radishes and a swoosh of basil mayo.
- Yield: yields 2 servings, 3-4 fritters each 1x
- 2 ears of sweet corn
- ½ small yellow onion (80g), thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 large eggs
- Sunflower oil for frying
- 1 recipe for basil mayo (link)
- 1 radish, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
To make the batter: Cut the kernels from the ears of corn (you should have about 1 ½ cups) and place them in a medium bowl with the onion. Add the salt and baking powder, followed by the flour and cheese. Toss until well coated, adding more flour if needed. Crack in the egg and stir to combine. You might question if the batter will hold together, I assure you it will.
To make the fritters: Heat a ¼-inch layer of sunflower oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, spoon the batter into four scoops into the hot oil. Press down with the back of the spoon to flatten the fritters. Fry until the fritters are a deep golden, 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Give a swoosh of the mayo in the bottom of two bowls and top with the corn fritters. Toss the thinly sliced radish with the olive oil and salt, then finish the fritters.