Summer Recipe: Southern Style Corn Fritters

While spending late evenings watching the French Open on TV a few weeks ago, I was looking to fix up something quick to munch on. That's when I saw the cob of corns in the refrigerator, the one that I left behind by accident after getting a few of them in the weekend farmer's market for my bento lunches.

I was in the mood for southern cuisine lately so the first thing I could think of is corn fritters. It is a versatile dish that went well as sides with barbecue or fried chicken, or even breakfast with maple syrup or honey, replacing (or complementing) pancakes or waffles. Or just as snacks. They freeze well in the fridge so perfect to cook in bulk in advance and just re-heat in the oven when you needed them. Some recipes added an additional step of pre-cooking the corn kernels before baking, but I skipped that part so the corn was crunchy and retained much of the sweetness (not to mention it’s quicker to make)

The corn fritters can be served with a number of different dipping sauces, or maple syrup or honey for a sweeter taste. One I used was a lime-miso dressing made by the Singaporean-based Mekhala Living, available locally in ProFood, an online grocery shop that I have been working with recently for a few online recipes using some of their products.

Southern-style Corn Fritters (serves 4 as appetizers)

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh large cob of corns (yield approx. 1/2 cup) (can substitute with canned or frozen ones – drained or thawed, of course)
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoon of milk
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Procedures: 

1. Put the corn kernels in a bowl, mix in with the egg yolk and milk. Beat to combine.
2. On another bowl, mix in all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
3. Bit by bit add the dry ingredients into the egg-corn mixture while stirring until it turned into a smooth batter (still chunky with the corn kernels, of course)
4. In another bowl, whip egg white until stiff peaks formed. Carefully fold the whipped egg white into the batter until thoroughly combined. Do not over-mix.
5. Heat oil in a deep-frying pan over medium-high heat at at least 1-inch deep. Use a spoon or ladle, scoop and carefully drop the batter into the hot oil by the spoonful. Cook until it turned golden, for 3-4 minutes total, turning once.
6. Take the golden fritters out and drain the excess oil on a baking tray lined with kitchen towel. Serve immediately with a sauce of your choice, or keep them in freezer for future consumption (keeps well for a few months)

Other recipes I collaborated with ProFood previously:

• Blackcurrant Vinegar-marinated with Warm Potato and Radish Salad
• Classic Panna Cotta
• White Truffle Honey Creme Brulee