Suzanne Vizethann’s corn fritters

1942
Photograph by Patrick Heagney
Photograph by Patrick Heagney

Suzanne Vizethann was practically raised on creamed corn in her childhood home in Buckhead, just five miles from her breakfast and lunch restaurant, Buttermilk Kitchen. The canned variety served as the base for the corn fritters her dad would fry up for family dinners. Today, Vizethann substitutes fresh corn and whole milk for the canned stuff and garnishes with raw corn kernels, fresh basil leaves, and a sprinkling of kosher salt. As the weather turns chillier, she suggests swapping corn kernels for finely diced winter squash and using autumn sage in place of basil.

Corn fritters

Ingredients
1 large ear fresh corn, shucked

1 large egg
½ cup whole milk
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
Vegetable oil 
Fresh corn kernels for garnish
Fresh basil, sage, or other chopped herbs
Olive oil

Instructions
Slice the kernels off the cob, scraping it with the back of the knife to extract as much of the juice as possible. In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the whole milk. Stir in the corn and its juice, flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. The consistency should be that of pancake batter; thin with a little more milk, if needed. 

Heat a large cast-iron skillet on a burner set to medium. Fill with about ½ inch of oil. When hot, drop large spoonfuls of batter (about ¼ cup) into the skillet; do not crowd the pan. Let the fritters cook for about 2 minutes or until browned on the bottom and bubbles start to appear on top; flip to brown on the other side. Transfer to a plate. Remove any burned bits before adding more batter. Garnish with salt, fresh corn kernels, and fresh herbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings 

This article originally appeared in our October 2014 issue.

 

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