Erm, Happy St. Patrick's Day? Ok....if you've followed my blog for at least a year, you're probably aware that I've dubbed myself the St. Patrick's day grinch. It's just like....a very "whatever" holiday to me to begin with. And then there's the whole people get mad at you if you don't wear green and I am not
that into the color green. More than anything, though, it's the fact that it's essentially a big excuse to get wasted. And I'm really not into that. It kind of drives me crazy (I don't drink and I really don't like drunk people.) So, friends, forgive me. Dear Irish quarter of my family (hi Moore's!), forgive me. Let's just move along and discuss corn fritters, shall we? (I hope you all have oodles of fun today, regardless of my grinchdom, and stay safe!!)
These corn fritters are great because they're crazy easy to whip up, and they're baked, not fried, so-woot-healthyish! They're a gorgeous and impressive appetizer, snack, or side, and you can serve them in a bunch of different ways (salsa? guac? ranch? dipped in soup?) Use your imagination!
Now, unfortunately, they didn't end up being my favorite. They were great-crisp and full of corn flavor but...I don't know. For some reason they didn't do it for me. Michael, on the other hand, really enjoyed them (it's probably because he used sauces and I ate 'em plain due to my weird I-eat-stuff-plain palate). So, I definitely think they're worth a try. Especially if you're going to entertain! Set them out with a bunch of different sauces and you have a super fun and tasty little app. for the peoples. I'm pretty excited about the fact that I'll be able to bring food to family functions, now, and I know this is one that would be a crowd pleaser!
Baked Corn Fritters
Makes 8 fritters.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 can (15 oz.) corn kernels, drained
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp. chopped scallions or chives
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add 1 tbsp. of oil with the chopped onion and garlic to a pan. Saute on medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the onions are soft. Add corn. Remove from heat to cool.
- In a bowl whisk together the milk, egg, scallions/chives, and cheese.
- Add cooled corn mixture to the bowl with the milk, etc. and also mix in the cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or, if you're in a pinch, just use a plain baking sheet) and spread 1 tbsp. olive oil over the surface.
- Form the batter into flat, circular patties and lay them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 20 minutes then flip them over and bake an additional 20 minutes, until a light golden brown. Serve warm with a sauce, soup, etc!
