THAI CORN FRITTERS

So I’m going to say this upfront. Just as McDonald’s new ‘Beijing chicken burger’ has basically no semblance of anything even vaguely relevant to China (save a dollop of sweet chilli sauce) what really makes these fritters Thai – apart from being a little spicy - demands a stretch of the imagination. But as the saying goes, a corn fritter by any other name will taste just as good. The original recipe used coriander (which I’m loathe to admit, but I can’t stand.. maybe it’s an acquired palate) So feel free to include half a cup of coriander leaves if you wish.

4 fresh corn cobs

1 red capsicum, diced to the same size as corn kernels

½ cup chopped spring onions

1 small red chilli, sliced

1 brown onion, diced

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 eggs, lightly whisked

Half to three quarters of a cup of flour – enough to form decent sized fritters that won’t fall apart in the pan

Start by slicing the kernels off the corn cobs. The best way to do this without losing a phalange is with a very sharp knife using a sawing motion. Place in a large bowl with the diced capsicum and chilli. Next, heat some vegetable oil in a pan and fry the brown onion, garlic and curry paste until the onion is just soft. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl. Now add the fish sauce, spring onions, eggs, flour and mix it all together.

Heat a frying pan to a moderate heat and add a shallow layer of oil. Place spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Tip: to prevent under-cooked fritters, try to make them flat as possible in the pan (and not too large) so you get maximal surface area cookage.