Fresh Corn Fritters

First up: Only 3 more days to enter to win tickets to the Mr. Baconpants Bacon Bash at Harris Grill!

If I know you in real life, you probably know that I befell a freak accident last week that has left me unable to really open my mouth. I know, right?!?!?! This sucks!

I’ve now been on the “mushy mac and cheese* and things that go through straws” diet for the last eight days, right at the height of both summer’s bounty and grill season. That means I can’t rip into a juicy burger, or even worse, plow into one of the succulent ears of corn on the cob that came in last week’s farm box. Which leaves me both a. meat-hungry and b. needing to use up several ears of corn.

Enter fresh corn fritters.

They say a serving size is three... but it could be the whole batch.

Here’s the deal: you cut the whole kernels off 1-2 ears of corn, and grate a 3rd ear on a box grater. Combine the kernels and fresh corn mush with the barest bit of flour and cornmeal, a few tablespoons of minced onion and a dash of cayenne pepper, with some egg and cream for binding. Drop the fritters into a pan of hot oil, cook for 2-3 minutes tops, and serve with maple syrup or honey on the side. The outsides are crisp, the insides are luscious and creamy, and the whole plate screams “I’M SUMMER CORN!”

I’m not usually one for frying: it’s frequently messy, adds calories that I don’t need, and is usually done better in restaurants than at home. To boot, I generally avoid vegetable oil. But in this case, a touch of clean-tasting fat and a lot of fresh corn flavor came together in a dish that made Scheidt’s eyes pop.** And I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve turned him into a food snob or we’re both entirely spoiled, but I rarely get a reaction like that anymore, so I know these were good.

Little juicy kernels might escape, but eat them anyway.

Fresh Corn Fritters
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

1 1/2 pounds husked fresh corn (2-4 ears depending on size)
1 large egg, beaten lightly
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced onion (or shallot)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A dash or two of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil, or more as needed
Maple syrup or honey, to serve

Cut the kernels from 2 ears of corn to yield about 1 cup of kernels. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate an additional 1-2 ears, plus the leftover cobs to yield about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of corn kernel “paste.” Stir together the corn kernels, paste, egg, flour, cornmeal, cream, onion, salt and cayenne pepper.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop six heaping tablespoons of batter into the skillet, spacing evenly and pushing down lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute, then flip and repeat. Remove the cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Remove any straggling kernels** from the pan and add additional oil if needed. Bring the oil back up to temperature, the fry the remaining batter as before.

Serve fritters immediately with maple syrup or honey. Makes 12 fritters.

*Also, get ready for another “soft food” recipe or two in the next few days. In a departure from our usual programming, I’m considering sharing my recipe for how to make orange powder box mac-and-cheese fantabulous. Interested? Leave it in the comments and maybe I will!

**If you leave them in the pan, they will turn into popcorn in loud explosions of corniness. Trust me.

Tagged as: corn, summer