The Perfect Egg

The Perfect Egg

Corn and Green Onion Fritters with a Bacon-Honey Drizzle

Bacon-Honey Drizzle 
1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄4 cup finely crumbled cooked bacon 

Fritters
Kernels from 3 ears corn (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
11⁄2 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Canola oil, for deep-frying 

While celebrating my sister’s bachelorette weekend in the Bahamas, I feasted on copious amounts of conch fritters: chunks of the fresh mollusk dipped in batter, fried, and served with hot sauce and wedges of lime. The contrast of the light, crispy exterior and the rich, creamy interior was my idea of perfection. Back home in the States, we swapped out the hard-to-find conch for the corn and green onions you see here. But these fritters would be equally good made with chopped octopus or shrimp. - Jenny

To make the drizzle, stir together the honey and crumbled bacon in a bowl. Set aside.
To make the fritters, preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the corn kernels in a bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss until the kernels are well coated. Spread the kernels in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once about halfway through the cooking time, for 15 to 20 minutes, until they begin to blister. Set aside.

Combine the water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and quickly stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Continue to stir over medium heat for 3 minutes, until the dough begins to steam, becomes sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the pot.

Transfer the dough to a bowl and immediately beat with the wooden spoon for
2 minutes to allow the steam to escape. Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to beat the mixture until the eggs are fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Fold in the green onions, pepper, and roasted corn.

To fry the fritters, pour canola oil into a deep pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350˚F. Line a large plate with paper towels and place near the stove.

Using a small ice cream scoop or 2 spoons, and working in batches of 4 or 6 fritters, carefully drop 2-tablespoon-sized balls of the corn mixture into the hot oil. Fry the balls, turning them once after 2 minutes, for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to the paper-lined plate to drain, then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Transfer the fritters to a serving platter and top with the bacon-honey drizzle. Serve hot.
TIP: Between scoops of the fritter batter, dip your scoop or spoons into cold water to help prevent sticking and to ease the transfer of the balls to the hot oil.