Very Versatile Corn Fritters

 

Seeing as we’re at the beginning of the corn season and don’t have quite enough ears for all my family members, I’ve been looking for different ways to use our limited supply and give everyone a taste of our favorite summer food.  While my best memories of corn involve eating it on the cob, I do fondly remember the corn fritters my mom made in the summers as a Sunday morning treat.  The beauty of fritters is that they retain the taste and crunch of the original kernel, they are easy and quick to make, and they can be savory or sweet.  

Here is a recipe for corn and quinoa fritters.  The quinoa adds some extra texture and nutrients while giving the fritters more staying power (by more staying power I mean that they help your stomach stave off hunger a bit longer).  

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of sweet corn – I used our yellow Mirai.
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

 

Directions:

1. Scrape the corn into a large bowl.  I used a medium serrated knife to cut off the kernels, being careful to avoid cutting into the cob.  If you have a corn scraper, that works just as well.  
2. Mix the quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt in with the scraped corn. 
3. Add the eggs, milk, and olive oil, and stir until well combined. 
4. Place a heavy bottomed skillet on high heat and add a few lugs of cooking oil.  I used extra virgin olive oil, but canola oil would work just as well. 
5. Test the oil by adding a small drip of batter.  When the batter begins to bubble and sizzle, scoop out about a 1/4 cup of the batter and pour into the oil. 
6. Cook for a few minutes before flipping.  At this point, the bottom should be set, although the top is still liquid, making the fritters easy to flip.
7. Continue to cook until both sides are deep golden in color (They should be a bit darker than those in my pictures.  I was a bit too excited to try the first batch…).  Before removing, check one fritter by tipping the corner of a metal spatula into the center of the top crust, just enough to break the surface.  If the center is still liquid, keep the fritters on the heat until they are cooked through.  
8. Remove the fritters from the heat and place on paper towels to remove excess oil.
9. Remember to add more oil before cooking more fritters.
10. Enjoy!

After making the fritters, you may be wondering how best to eat them.  For lunch, I decided to try them with both savory and sweet toppings.  I dipped the first few in a quick and tasty chipotle and mayonnaise sauce, and I spread the final ones with honey.  

For the sauce, I finely chopped a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and mixed it with about 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise.  Add more or less mayo depending on how much spice you want to experience.  If you’re wondering what the heck a chipotle pepper might be, it’s a smoked chili pepper.  I use these, but I’m sure any will work just fine.  They are full of flavor.  

 

A few final thoughts on fritters.  My mother’s are simpler and involve two eggs, some flour, and milk. I will post those soon.  

Also, consider adding spices or other extra ingredients to these fritters.  This recipe could act as your base as you experiment.  I have seen some fritters with cheddar cheese and others with smoked paprika.  Maybe you could throw in some extra vegetables, like onions and peppers.  You could add vanilla and extra flour to substitute for the quinoa.  The sauce could be something like lemon curd or ice cream for a dessert.  These fritters can be whatever you want while allowing you to make the most of the early corn.  Have fun experimenting!