The Catskill Chronicle

By Jude Waterston

Who doesn’t like fritters? Even the word fritter sounds cute. A croquette is nice, but a fritter is a delight. “A small, sweet or savory deep-fried cake made either by combining chopped food with a thick batter or by dipping pieces of food into a similar batter” is how Barron’s Food Lover’s Companion defines these flavorful nuggets, but the fritter is a more complex and evolved food than this synopsis suggests.

Fritters, in some form, are eaten in cultures all over the globe as, variously, snack food, appetizers, vegetable side dishes, or desserts. The Greeks enjoy them as a part of their meze – a feast of a variety of small dishes – made with such vegetables as cauliflower, tomatoes, or greens, like Swiss chard, and seasoned with cinnamon, dill, and mint.  In the Middle East, ground fava beans or chickpeas are mixed with herbs and spices and formed into patties or balls called falafel, which are tucked into warm, freshly baked pita bread along with pickled turnips, chopped lettuce, tomato, and raw onion, then topped with a ground sesame seed paste called tahini.

West Africans make fritters of black-eyed peas or sweet potatoes, and in the Caribbean and Portugal you will find delectable little cakes made of preserved salt cod. In Puerto Rico, the calabaza squash, with its naturally sweet flavor, is combined with nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon, fried, and served for breakfast. Italians make sweet frittelle with ricotta or cooked rice, or aromatic, savory versions such as one made with eggplant, pecorino romano cheese, and mint. They are crisp and golden outside and creamy inside.

In Korea, you will find a meat patty, called chen ya, made with sirloin, and the Japanese use tempura batter to fry everything from shrimp to root vegetables. Chinese restaurants serve banana and pineapple fritters for dessert, and the English favor apples for their version, dusted liberally with confectioner’s sugar. Finally, perhaps no country can hold a candle to India, where chickpea flour is used to make onion bhajias and myriad pakoras filled with lentils, spiced potatoes, eggplant, and chopped or ground fish or meat, and eaten as appetizers or with afternoon tea.

My only beef with fritters is that they are almost always deep-fried, and that’s just not a preparation I favor. On occasion, if I feel it won’t work otherwise, I’ll deep-fry, such as when I’m making falafel, but I’ve had successful results with pan-frying, or sautéing, in a mixture of butter and oil or just a thin layer of oil. Some fritters, such as those I’ve made with crabmeat or flaked salmon work well baked in a hot oven. I’ve made fritters both sweet and savory. Corn fritters made with fresh summer corn and served as a side dish with maple syrup, are a summer treat. I make a savory spinach fritter, and an easy and flavorful one made with grated zucchini, chopped scallions, crumbled feta cheese, and bright-tasting, fresh herbs such as dill, Italian flat-leaf parsley, and mint. Just about any fritter is terrific for brunch or a light dinner, served with a tossed green salad, or as a vegetable side dish alongside meat, fish, or poultry. And let’s not forget fritters at the cocktail hour. These savory finger foods can be the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine or any tipple you fancy.

Corn Fritters

Makes about 12 small pancakes

2 large ears corn, shucked

¼ cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)

3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (approximately)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Stand each ear of corn upright on a plate and, with a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cobs. With the back of the knife, scrape the cobs to release the creamy milk. Put in a bowl. Stir in the milk, beaten egg, and chives (if using). In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the corn mixture and mix well to incorporate. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the oil to form a small pancake. Cook four pancakes at a time for about 3 minutes each, turning once, until golden brown. As the fritters are cooked, place them on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat the procedure, adding another tablespoon of oil to the pan for each batch. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup.