One of the things I’ll miss most about this town—aside from the architectural beauty—when I return to London, is the plethora of independent delis dotted around town. There are three a stone’s throw from my doorstep, purveying handmade sausage rolls with caraway-infused puff pastry, delicious almond and orange cakes, or unusual generously-iced pistachio cupcakes. And, all for a decent price. I won’t be so lucky in London.
One store, Broughton Deli always has a tantalizing quiche or baguette on offer. And, last week their pea and sweetcorn fritters caught my eye. Greasy, moreish and delicious, I definitely wanted to recreate it in my own kitchen.
All you need for a fritter
I’d never made a fritter before, but it looked like a simple feat. I read a couple of recipes before tackling it freestyle—the only point of difference was whether to include some feta in the mix as well. I opted to go without.
Into the frying pan
The batter took only minutes to prepare. For the first run I stuck with parsley, onions and pepper for flavour, but the second innings featured spring onions and a little fresh chilli for a kick.
I lef the batter to stand for 15 minutes, warmed the pan and crossed my fingers. I am not the world’s most accomplished pancake-maker, and feared fritters could go the same way.
Golden brown
I left the fritter to cook for 3 minutes and flipped it. I lost a kernel or two of corn along the way, but for a first attempt it wasn’t too flakey. As my large frying pan was otherwise occupied, I was making the fritters in single batches in a small omelette pan—I’d definitely recommend working with a larger pan; it gives you more room to flip; an integral part of the process.
Cooked, and warming
The great thing about fritters is they contain reassuringly healthy ingredients—I didn’t feel full of grease despite gorging myself on at least three. They are so quick and simple to make, and pretty economical too; a bag of frozen corn ain’t going to break the bank.
Perfect with a little salad
This morning I made them for breakfast. With bacon on top. As I write, I’m thinking about the lunch options.
Recipe, inspired by Bill Granger
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups (from 2 to 3 ears) corn kernels
1/2 cup red pepper, cut into small dice
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a medium bowl.
Add the sugar, stir to combine, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth, stiff, lump-free batter forms.
Stir in the corn, pepper, onions and parsley. Leave to stand for at least 10 minutes.
In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the batter (around 2 tablespoons), cooking four at a time.
Fry for 2 minutes or until the underside of each fritter is golden. Turn the fritters over and cook until the other side is golden. Transfer to another plate and keep warm while cooking the remaining fritters.
This looks fantastic!
I had a phase when I was craving for fritters too, these sound lovely! :-)
Ah! She’s back! I WANT THOSE MEASURING SPOOOOOOONS! ;)