Corn. Coconut. Fritter. I think that is all I have to say.
Actually, I will say a little more. I made this super easy recipe from my favorite cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen. It comes together in a flash, it will make your kitchen smell like coconut and they are a joy to eat. Little crispy on the outside, tender on the inside cakes dipped into a sweet and spicy sauce. The more exotic ingredients are easily available from the international section of your supermarket. The recipe makes about 7 larger fritters or 20 mini ones. Don’t count on having any left over.
Corn & Coconut Fritters
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen
1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed or fresh kernels cut from two ears of corn
¼ cup coconut cream — scooped up from the top of an unshaken can of coconut milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup flour
1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 serrano chili, de-ribbed, de-seeded, cut into tiny pieces (optional)
Dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons sriracha chile sauce or chile garlic sauce
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1. Place corn kernels in a food processor and pulse 12-15 times. It should look roughly chopped, not pureed.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the coconut cream, egg, flour, salt, sugar, and serrano (if using). If you can manage to wait, set aside for 30 minutes. I did not do this.
3. Heat a large pan, dutch oven, or wok with an inch of oil in it. To test if oil is properly heated, drop a tiny bit of the batter into the oil, and if bubbles begin to form around it, the oil is ready. If you have a thermometer, the oil should measure 350 degrees F.
4. If you are making larger fritters, drop by the tablespoonful into the oil. For smaller ones, drop in 2 teaspoon amounts. Do not crowd the pan! Each fritter takes about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a wire rack over a sheet pan or on a plate lined with a paper towel.
5. To make the dipping sauce, mix together the chile sauce, water and sugar.
Editor’s Note: this post is part of the series “A Sunday Ritual” by guest blogger Debbie Carlos.
