Sweet corn, plump shrimp and a tangle of chives and onions make these crispy fritters irresistible. The batter is light, delicate and inspired by Japanese kakiage or vegetable tempura. It has just enough structure to hold everything together into wonderful little blossoms of fried goodness. Serve with a fresh squeeze of lemon for a perfect sunny appetizer.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 12 fritters |
Ingredients
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup chopped chives (1 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp, tails removed
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat 3 inches of oil to 380 degrees F in a heavy-bottomed pot. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- While the oil is warming up, toss the corn, chives, onion and 2 tablespoons of the flour to combine in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the water, salt and remaining 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Pour the wet batter into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the shrimp and give it one more quick toss.
- Working in batches of 4 to 6, scoop about 1/4 cup of the fritter mixture by hand, making sure it includes one shrimp, and carefully drop it into the oil. Move the fritters around with a pair of chopsticks so they don’t stick together. Fry until the batter is crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the fritters from the oil with a spider and transfer to the wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining fritter batter. Immediately serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 93 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 30 mg |
| Sodium | 103 mg |