Corn Fritters with Spicy Tomato Salsa | Friday Night Bites

Summer is a special time in the San Francisco Bay Area.  You are probably thinking why?  Well let me tell you why.  A small town about 35 to 45 minutes away from me produces some of the best corn.  The small town is Brentwood, California.  Not the Brentwood in Southern California where the infamous OJ is from.  It is the delightful town of Brentwood in Northern California.  You can go to restaurants around the Bay Area and notice that dishes highlighting this spectacular corn are on the menu.

After visiting my local farmers market over the weekend, I had to pick up some corn from Brentwood.  It was $2.00 for three ears of this sweet, tasty corn.  Quite frankly, I can eat it raw sliced right off the cob, it is that good.  Corn Fritters have long been on my “recipes to make” bucket list.  I began researching the internet for different ways to make a corn fritter.  Some will fry in oil, which is tasty but not good for the waistline.  Others will pan fry with a touch of oil, so I decided to pursue that route for this recipe.

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I am a bit obsessed with the tiny orange tomatoes that are in season right now.  They are like candy, since they are so sweet and simply perfect.  I wanted to add something to my corn fritter but not a heavy sauce – a spicy salsa was the ticket.  The combination of the fresh corn fritter and the bright sweet yet slightly spicy salsa was a brilliant pairing of flavors. 

You could make tiny fritters that are more appetizer friendly or make a single larger size fritter.  I would suggest making to order so they are hot and crispy.  A great pairing for this would be a Pinot Noir or a Sancerre.  Here’s to wishing you Happy Friday Night Bites!

Corn Fritters

12 large or 24 appetizers

4 Cups Fresh Corn Kernels (about 3 to 4 ears of corn)

¾ Cup Flour

2 Eggs

1/3 Cup Milk

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

½ Cup Scallions, minced (white and green parts)

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and cut into tiny dices

Olive oil for cooking

To prepare the corn, remove the husks and silks.  On a large cutting board use a sharp knife to cut the kernels.

In a small bowl combine the milk and eggs and mix well.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the corn, flour, baking powder, salt, scallions and jalapeno.  Mix well.  Next add the egg and milk mixture and stir until well combined.

To cook, use a large skillet and lightly cover the bottom of the skillet with olive oil.  Heat over medium.  Place the desired amount of corn mixture and lightly compress to flatten.  Cook for about 3 minutes and then using a spatula, flip to cook the other side.  Both sides should be a golden brown.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and serve with the spicy tomato salsa.

Spicy Tomato Salsa

1 ½ Cup Orange Cherry Tomatoes

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and cut into tiny dices

2 Scallions, minced (white and green parts)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar

¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ teaspoon Salt

8 Grinds Fresh Ground Pepper

Add all of the ingredients above to a medium bowl and lightly toss together.  Serve with the Corn Fritters.