Vegetables and Sides

Crispy Corn Fritters

Don’t you just love corn season?  Sweet, crunchy, tender, juicy corn – YUM!  Yes, corn on the cob is great.  Perfect, actually!  But I get bored with the same old thing no matter how good it is.  Crispy Corn Fritters are an easy side dish and the perfect way to showcase summer corn!  These heavenly fritters are light on batter and heavy on corn – just the way they should be.  Although they are quite delicious right out of the pan, you can serve them with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped chives or salsa and guacamole.  How about leftover fritters for breakfast?  Re-heat in the oven and top with a fried egg, bacon on the side, please!   

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Crispy Corn Fritters

Sweet pops of fresh corn on the inside, crispy on the outside. These heavenly fritters are light on batter and heavy on corn – just the way they should be.
Author Rosalie D’Amico

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 or 5 grinds of black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2-4 tablespoons of milk
  • 1½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears of corn)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper diced small
  • ½ (or to your taste) small jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs of choice parsley, basil, cilantro
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano or other cheese you prefer
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil for frying
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter for frying

Instructions

  • Combine flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well – I like to whisk together.
  • Add beaten egg and milk and mix to incorporate. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk.
  • Stir in corn, onion, peppers, herbs, and cheese. Add a bit more milk, one tablespoon at a time, to adjust consistency. If the batter is too thick, the fritters will not be crispy. Too thin and they will fall apart. Stir together until corn is evenly coated in batter.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan until hot.
  • Drop about ¼ cup of batter in hot pan. A cookie scoop works great. Flatten the fritters to a little less than ½” using a spatula that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. For the crispiest fritters, do not crowd the pan.
  • Cook about 3 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add more oil and butter to skillet if necessary to finish cooking remaining batter. Keep warm in a low oven until you have cooked all the fritters. Leftover fritters re-heat well on a sheet pan in a 325° convection oven.

Notes

Optional for serving, sour cream and chopped chives.