Sunday, August 19, 2012

August Corn III: Corn Fritters




One of the benefits of the early growing season is that we’ve had corn since the first of July, so August corn this year doesn’t have quite the same meaning as in years when corn is really just coming into its own. For me, though, it has a different meaning: the last time I will really eat it until next year.

Yes, I am back in Tucson. You may have suspected, since I missed posting last week--the first sign, at the end of the summer, of impending blog hibernation. I was traveling back to Tucson last weekend, and there is nothing like a change in schedule to throw you off your blogging game. School starts tomorrow, and you know what that means. The game of weekly posts is up.

But back to corn and why I will be on corn, as well as blog, hiatus until next summer. There is corn at the farmers market here, but I can scarcely bear to look at the poor things, let alone buy and eat them. (I know there is an agreement issue with that sentence, but I couldn't make it come out right in singular. Feel compelled to explain.) So I limit my corn eating to New England summer. Ditto with fish.  Fortunately, the Hatch chiles are in to distract me. Maybe this year I will figure out what all the fuss is about.

I love corn fritters of all shapes and varieties, and so decided to make some on one of my last evenings in LC.  These below are yet another type than others on the blog, very much like a clam cake, for those of you from Rhode Island who know from whence I speak.  For those who don’t: they are like little puffs of slightly eggy, fried, studded (with corn, or clams, or…) bread.  I was in the process of cleaning out refrigerator inventory, and made a little dipping sauce with sour cream, buttermilk, scallions, lemon, salt, and pepper.  I had them for my dinner with a glass of wine. A very nice last supper.

RI Corn Fritters

6 ears corn
3 eggs, separated
scant c sifted a-p
1 tea sugar
1 tea salt
2 tea bp
Cayenne and black pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Into a small bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs and and scrape the milk from the cobs. Stir in the egg yolks.  Sift the dry ingredients together and mix into the eggs and corn.. Beat the egg whites stiff and fold them in gently.

Heat about 4” of oil to 375F; drop the batter by the tablespoon into the fat, without crowding.  Cook them, turning them over with a slotted utensil, until they are golden brown. Remove to paper towels and salt while hot. Make sure  your fat is hot enough or these will be too soft; you want them a bit crisp on the outside.  Eat plain or dip into a sauce of your choice.




2 comments:

RachelD said...

What a lovely ode to End-of-Summer!
These are one of our absolute favorite things (after fresh-from-the kettle with butter, or just-off-the-grill, almost caramelized in the shucks).

And I'd never thought of a sauce for them, though I suppose we've always had one of sorts---corn night is one for a cereal-sized bowl full of chopped juicy tomatoes per person, salted while the fritters fry to get the juices going, and then a little dot of Blue Plate or Duke's atop, for stirring in at the last minute.
You need only your fingers for the fritters and a spoon for getting every drop of the "sauce."

I'll miss you, sweet friend---surely there will be some good hot Dutch-oven stew suppers or winter soups, and SURELY a holiday dessert or two?

Happy until . . .

rachel

Jane said...

Or, another favorite, off the cob and cooked entirely in butter and cream...

Tomatoes with a little mayo is sure a sauce...gosh, I feel hungry.

I will miss me too--in the sense, that writing the blog makes me feel more like me...and will miss your validating and eloquent comments...but work takes precedence and it will be a busy, busy fall. Yes, I will SURELY get a winter or SW something or other out. In fact, I have a little inventory of Little Compton items that I should be able to get out.

Enjoy the Fall bounty in the South!