Tracey Bennett's sweetcorn & zucchini fritters recipe

Who doesn’t love corn fritters?

If you have a big garden, chances are you will have some to harvest in the summer months; if not, they are in abundance and very affordable at your local farmers’ market or veggie shop.

These little fritters are addictive and delectable... and in winter, just omit the zucchini for a classic corn vibe and yes, it is okay to use tinned whole-kernel corn! 

Makes 12 small fritters
GF SF NF FF

Ingredients:

• 400g organic whole kernel corn, drained, or the equivalent of freshly cut off the cob
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini (courgettes), grated
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• ½ red capsicum, diced small
• ½ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ Tsp ground cumin
• ½ Tsp fine natural sea salt
• Cracked pepper to taste
• ¾ cup chickpea (besan) flour
• Olive oil for frying

Method:

• Place all ingredients except flour (and oil) in a bowl and mix until nicely blended.
• Add chickpea flour and slowly mix through — it will start to become sticky with a binding quality to it. Let mixture ‘sit’ for 20 mins or so to maximise the sticky texture.
• Warm olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Create fritters by forming mixture into rough balls about the size of a golf ball and then flattening gently with your fingertips as you place them into the pan. Alternatively, use a soup spoon to place generous spoonfuls into the pan and then gently shape them.
• Cook the fritters in batches for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
• Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel to drain off any excess oil. Serve immediately with a generous side salad and your favourite dipping sauce, like sweet chilli sauce, gourmet pickle or tamarillo chutney — the list goes on.

Chef’s Hint
These tasty fritters are also a wonderful dish to bring to a shared gathering or party — they look great laid out on a platter with a few dipping sauces. You can make them especially small as ‘mini-fritters’ for this purpose. When I do this, they are a hit every time.

Goodness Tip
Corn is a good source of protective antioxidant carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, and is also high in potassium (which most of us need more of) and low in sodium (which most of us need less of). Enjoy loads of fresh corn when it is in season.