Corn Fritters

SOMETIMES CALLED “CORN OYSTERS” IN SOUTHERN coastal states, since they can resemble fried oysters, corn fritters have been a staple all over the South for at least two hundred years. I once watched some folks in Mississippi make an entire lunch of nothing but corn fritters and spinach salad. Even more telling, I’ve served the fritters with eggs and bacon for breakfast more than once when confronted with sacks of Silver Queen corn fresh from the field that I knew would lose its sweetness if kept too long. What you don’t want are soggy fritters, so unless you plan to serve them immediately, one solution is to keep them hot and crisp on a wire rack in the oven once they’ve been drained briefly on paper towels. I also like to serve these fritters with roast pork and chunky apple sauce.

MAKES: About 16 fritters

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 1/2 small green bell pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the corn in a large pot and add enough water to cover it.
2. Bring the water to a boil and cook the corn for 2 minutes.
3. Drain the corn and let it cool enough to handle.
4. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and transfer them to a plate. Scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to extract as much of the corn milk as possible.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the corn kernels, corn milk, minced green bell pepper, beaten eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and half-and-half. Stir until the mixture is well blended and thick.
6. In a large skillet, heat the peanut oil and butter over moderately high heat.
7. Spoon about 4 mounds of the batter into the hot oil and cook until golden on one side, usually for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Use a slotted spoon to turn the fritters and cook them on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden.
9. Drain the cooked fritters on paper towels.
10. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, cooking the fritters in batches.
11. Keep the cooked fritters hot on a large plate or wire rack in the oven until ready to serve.