Just a bit Corny

As I think I've mentioned before, my beloved is a great cook, and when I return to the family home at night, after leaving that educational hell we laughingly call Nuova Lazio High, I can always look forward to a tasty and substantial meal.

However, the years of consuming all of this wonderful food has had an effect on my waistline.  For some strange reason, it has expanded over the years, and we recently decided to cut back a bit, and perhaps take more exercise.  (whisper: actually it wasn't "we", I was told that my beloved doesn't fancy a long extended widowhood, and that I'd better, for the sake of my health, start losing weight)

Last night as I arrived home, I could smell something strange, something different.  Could it be?...  Was it really?.... Yes, it was.  I could smell frying.

Our frying pan isn't used that much anymore, and to tell the truth, fatty food now gives me incredible indigestion, although I still crave the occasional bacon in a roll for breakfast.  But this didn't smell like bacon, so what was it?  I got changed into traditional kiwi garb for home ware (T-shirt  and shorts) and went into the kitchen.

Pancakes.  Pancakes?...for dinner?

I must have muttered something, because my beloved whacked me with the spatula.  "We're having corn fritters" she told me.

She served up these fritters with a little salad, some of our homegrown tomatoes, and pieces of poached salmon.  Really tasty, but the corn fritters were addictive.  They didn't taste fatty or greasy (my beloved wisely using the minimum of vegetable oil when she cooked them) and had a surprising crunch as they were eaten. (I believe the water chestnuts cause this lovely texture.)  My beloved made quite a few extra, most consumed by our son when he came home a bit later.  All the extra, uneaten fritters slowly disappeared from the fridge over the course of the evening, so my beloved's intent, to decrease my trouser size, was largely defeated, but I don't really care, and I will urge her to make the corn fritters again soon.

Here's the recipe. These type of fritters do not deep fry well, so only shallow fry in a minimum of oil.

Fridge Raiding has some odd effects

Enjoy.  (Eating them from the fridge in the middle of the night, with an extra dusting of salt and pepper adds a superb piquancy)



Corn Fritters

420g can Corn Kernels (drained)
310g can Creamed Corn
4 eggs
230g can chopped Water Chestnuts (drained)
½ cup finely chopped Basil leaves
¾cup Self Raising Flour
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Place corn kernels, creamed corn, water chestnuts, the eggs and Basil leaves in a large bowl
Mix well
Season with Salt and Pepper
Gradually whisk in flour until well blended

Heat a little oil in frying pan
Cook fritters in batches, using ¼ cup of batter for each fritter
Fry until Golden Brown on each side
Drain on absorbent paper

Serve with salad of greens, basil and bean shoots