Spicy Corn Cakes
Late Spring through most of the Summer one can find absolutely wonderful, juice, sweet corn. Other than cooking it on the grill or boiling in water, there are so many ways to use this great vegetable. In this particular recipe I have used two different cooking methods. You may fry the batter in a bit of oil, or use your non-stick waffle maker. Both are great, they just have a slightly different texture. They can be made ahead and reheated prior to serving. If you are going to reheat, the better option is in a warm oven rather than the microwave. You can serve them plain, but the preferred way is with dollops of sour cream and pico de gallo, or salsa. Guacamole is also a great topping. They are a very good appetizer or as a side dish for grilled chicken, pork or beef. This recipe easily makes 12 to 14 three inch corncake.
Equipment
- 1 cast iron or heavy fry pan
- Non stick Waffle Iron Optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sweet corn kernals (2 ears of corn)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (80g) white and tender green parts
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (6g)
- 3/4 cup whole milk (178ml)
- 2 grade A large eggs
- 3/4 cup King Arthur all purpose flour (90g)
- 1 tsp baking soda (4.8g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt (6g)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (2.3g)
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (.6g)
- Hot sauce to taste
FOR THE TOPPING
- Pico Da Gallo, Salsa, Sour Cream or Guacamole Choices for the topping
Instructions
TO PREPARE THE BATTER
- Remove the husk and fine fibers from the ears of corn. Place one in a bowl, stem side down and using a sharp knife slice the kernels from the cob.
- Dice the green onions and chop the cilantro. Place these in a mixing bowl with the corn kernels.
- Whisk together the milk, eggs, and hot sauce. Pour over the corn, onions and cilantro.
- Shift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cumin and chili powder. Add to the corn mixture and stir to combine.
TWO WAYS TO COOK
Fry Pan Option
- Heat oil in a heavy sauté pan. A cast iron skillet works very well. Depending on the size of your pan, you want a bit less than a 1/4" of oil covering the bottom of the pan.
- Place the pan over medium heat, much the same temperature that you would use for pancakes.
- When the oil is hot, scoop about 1/4 cup of batter on to the skillet. Use the back of a spoon to spread that batter into discs of about 2.5" to 3" in diameter.
- Fry about one minute, or until the bottom is a rich golden brown before flipping to the other side. Cook about another minute or a bit longer on this side. Then remove the cakes and allow them to cool a bit on a paper towel.
- Serve hot, or if making them ahead allow them to cool and then place them on a plate in a single layer and cover with plastic wrap.
Waffle Iron Option
- When you waffle iron comes up to the proper heat setting, scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center. Allow to cook per manufactures settings. Serve or store as instructed for the frying pan version.
- To reheat – place the "pancakes" or "waffles" in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Heat for 10 minutes in a 325° oven.
TO SERVE
- Present either already with desired topping, or serve toppings separately.
Notes
NOTE: I have made these several times and if you want something a bit different, try adding a bit of shredded cheddar cheese (about a 1/4 cup) to the batter, or chopped jalapeño peppers to taste.
