Every summer we spend a week in Lake George with Ben’s parents. We stay at place called Stepping Stones, an idyllic spot equipped with fully stocked cottages, but even so, I always arrive with the essentials: a chef’s knife, a peeler, a salad bowl, and … a dozen cookbooks, half of which I never open, but which I feel I must bring anyway. What can I say? Cookbooks = security blanket. A few summer’s ago, I brought Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors, which immediately inspired me to make her corn fritters with aged Cheddar, which I then wrote about on Food52. I made them again recently and was reminded why I love them: they are loaded with corn! As Deborah Madison says, these fritters are “all corn, not just a few kernels suspended in batter.” And though Cheddar may sound ordinary here, its sharpness complements the sweet corn so nicely, and it browns beautifully, too, creating a crisp, golden exterior.
A Few Corn Fritter-Making Tips:
Make a test fritter. A test fritter enables you to adjust the seasonings and consistency before you fry up the entire amount of batter. Adapt the recipe as you wish. I love Cheddar in this recipe, but Madison recommends a number of others, including goat, feta, and Gouda. For herbs, if you don’t like cilantro, use parsley or chives. Make them gluten-free. To make these gluten-free, use rice flour, oat flour or other gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Spice it up. As written, these fritters are flavored pretty minimally with scallions, herbs, and cheese. If you like heat, a diced hot chili, splash of hot sauce, or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes would all be welcome here.
4.9 from 30 reviews Update 7-29-2023: I’ve updated my method to minimize/eliminate the exploding corn issues I’ve experienced in the past. Method is reflected in the recipe below. The batter can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge. Be sure to give it a good stir before frying. I often make a half batch. For a half recipe, I find 1/2 cup of flour works well. And depending on how juicy the corn is and what kind of flour I’m using, I use 2 to 3 eggs. If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to omit it or to use another herb or more scallions. I’ve made a half batch with 8 scallions and no cilantro, and it was delicious.
