Traditional Corn Fritters

These are mostly corn, lightly bound and deep-fried. They’re super-crisp, really good, and among the easiest things to fry. You can eat them as a side dish or serve them as an appetizer. Other vegetables you can use: fresh or frozen peas.

Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, as needed

3/4 cup cornmeal, the fresher the better

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup milk, plus more if needed

1 large egg

2 cups corn kernels, preferably just stripped from the cobs , but thawed frozen is acceptable

• Put at least 2 inches of oil in a deep pan on the stove over medium-high heat; bring to 350.
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and some salt and pepper in a large bowl. Beat the milk and egg together, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, adding a few tablespoons more milk if necessary to make a thick but smooth batter. Stir in the corn.
• Drop the fritters by the 1/4 cup or large spoonful into the hot oil; you’ll probably need to raise the heat to maintain the temperature. Cook the fritters in batches, turning once, until nicely browned on all sides, a total of 4 or 5 minutes per batch. Drain the fritters on paper towels, then eat them as they are done or keep them warm in the oven until they are all done.

Arepas.
• A South American staple, made with cheese: Omit the baking powder. Add 1 cup grated cheese— like cheddar—to the mix, along with the milk and egg. Add a little more milk to make a slightly thinner, pancakelike batter and cook in a shallow skillet with just a few tablespoons of butter or oil, as you would pancakes.

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: 30 minutes