Corn Fritters

Corn Fritters

Normally, I prefer to eat my corn gently steamed, with a little butter and Secret Stash Salt. If I want to get really fancy, I’ll peel back the husks and slather some butter and seasonings on it, put the husks back, and then grill the whole ears for a bit. But that’s about it. Well, other than the corn and blueberry salad. But that’s it. Really! Even though I wouldn’t be sharing this recipe if it wasn’t a success, I can’t say it’s tempted me away from my old standbys. What it is good for though, is for those ears of corn that aren’t quite up to par. Maybe you forgot them in the back of the fridge for a few days or maybe you just peeled back the husks and the kernels were a little softer than you’d like. Or maybe you’re growing sweet corn and you’ve got so much that you just need some variety.

A few words on choosing corn… Most farmers market vendors these days don’t want you to peel the corn husks to check out the corn. It isn’t good for the corn and if you peel back the husks, then decide not to buy the corn, that peeled back corn might not sell because another shopper assumed that it was put back for a reason, even if the reason was simply that you decided you didn’t feel like corn tonight. Really, you shouldn’t need to peel back the husks to get a good, fresh ear of corn. Look for a heavy ear, and one that feels relatively solid. The husks should be relatively moist, not dry. Give it a gentle squeeze all along the length to check for soft spots and look for stiff, dark silk. Corn at the farmers market is usually picked and sold the same day. Older corn, such as corn you get from the supermarket won’t be as sweet, as the sugar in corn turns to starch after a day or two.

These are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner

Corn Fritters, adapted from Gardener’s Community Cookbook

Makes 6 fritters

• 2 cups corn kernels (approximately 4 medium ears of corn)
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (flavored salt is even better)
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• Oil for frying

1. Remove the corn kernels from the cob. You can do this with a knife or with a corn zipper.
2. Mix all ingredients except for the oil in a bowl to form a thick batter.
3. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes to thicken and set a bit.
4. Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat
5. Oil a 1/3 cup measuring cup and pack with fritter batter.
6. Turn out into the hot pan. Repeat with two or three more fritters, depending on the size of your pan. You want enough space to easily flip the fritters.
7. Cook for 2-4 minutes per side, or until they move easily in the pan and are golden brown on the bottom.
8. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until both sides are golden brown.
9. Drain on paper towels, and serve with some fresh cracked pepper.

Notes: The original recipe called for 2 eggs to be mixed in with the batter. I didn’t do this because honestly, I just forgot. But they were fine (and lighter) without the eggs. If you wanted a slightly more substantial fritter, and one with more protein, feel free to add in the eggs with all of the other ingredients. I recommend oiling the measuring cup to keep the batter from sticking to the measuring cup. It’s a great trick for any batter that needs to be measured before cooking.

Serve these fritters topped with some Secret Stash Salt. They are also delightful crumbled into a scramble as well.

Share this:

Related posts:

• Roasted Corn and Blueberry Salad Once sweet corn comes into season, there is one go-to...
• Spicy Zucchini Fritters When zucchini starts appearing at the farmers markets, it REALLY...
• Herbed Ricotta Fritters The history books say that ricotta cheese came about when...
• Quick Pickled Vegetables I don’t know why, but this weekend I had a...

Tagged as: corn, sweet corn