Susan’s Corn Fritters are such a treat. The first time Susan offered to make them for us, I wasn’t excited. Little did I know that they are the bomb! It was a hot day, and I wasn’t nearly appreciative enough – I expected them to be greasy and heavy. Then I tasted them – they were so light and full of flavor. We’ve sampled many, many corn fritters in our day, and these are the best. You don’t know corn fritters until you’ve had Susan’s Corn Fritters!
Susan visits us every summer for our annual family reunion, and she plans her visit to include some time both before and after the family event. She helps me prepare the food and helps Ron put up the tent in advance, and then the three of us enjoy decompressing together afterward. Last year I had hoped that Susan would show me how to make her corn fritters using the corn we grew, but it wasn’t meant to be – we had lots of fun, but we didn’t spend much time in the kitchen.
This year was much the same – there were too many other things we wanted to do, too many restaurants to visit. We enjoyed amazing meals at Fresca, 85 Main, Dimitri’s, and Fenton River Grill. But I wasn’t going to let her go without making corn fritters for us. She happily obliged me the evening before she left, and she helped me to document the quantities for this post. Susan normally just eyeballs things, but we methodically documented each element and each step. This recipe produces fritters that are more corn than batter. And Susan’s technique of separating the yolks from the whites, and then folding the beaten egg whites into the batter at the end was a revelation for me. Susan’s Corn Fritters were as wonderfully light and airy as I remembered, and now I can make them myself!
Susan’s Corn Fritters
Equipment
- wok or deep and wide pan, for fying
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn kernels (3 ears, if using fresh corn)
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 serrano
- 4 T fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 2 T milk
- olive oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Prep the corn – If using fresh corn, remove it from the cob. If using frozen, measure out the corn and allow it to thaw before mixing the batter.
- Prep the peppers and cilantro – Destem and deseed the peppers. Mince the pepper flesh. Mince the cilantro, stems and all.
- Prep the eggs – Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until they're frothy.
- Mix the batter – Mix together the corn, peppers, cilantro, egg yolks, and flour until combined. Stir in the milk, then fold in the egg whites.
- Finish the fritters – Heat the oil in your wok and drop a teaspoon of the batter into the hot oil. When the batter begins to sizzle and turn brown, the oil is hot enough. Working in batches, drop large spoonfuls of the fritter batter into the hot oil, and fry until browned and crispy on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack and serve with your condiment of choice – a slice of avocado or guacamole, a shower of scallions or other herbs, basil pesto, or even maple syrup!
Notes
POST SCRIPT – I didn’t take pictures while Susan was preparing the fritters, so I had to make another batch on my own – to take pictures and to test that this recipe is reliably accurate as documented. Not only do I want you too see just how delicious Susan’s Corn Fritters are, I hope that you’ll make them so that you can taste them for yourself. I used fresh corn from a roadside stand this time, but it doesn’t matter whether you use fresh corn or frozen. I’m sure that you’ll agree that these corn fritters are the best!